BEIJING, July 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said at a meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Guangzhou that Kiev is preparing for talks with Russia, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning.

"Ukraine is willing to engage in dialogue and talks with Russia and is making preparations for that," Mao said at a briefing, citing Kuleba.

According to the Ukrainian foreign minister, "talks need to be rational, substantive and aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace."

Kuleba stated that Ukraine highly appreciated China’s active and meaningful role in facilitating peace and maintaining international order. Kiev highly values Beijing’s opinion and has studied the initiative of China and Brazil aimed at finding a political solution to the conflict, the top Ukrainian diplomat pointed out. He noted that "China is a great country," and added that Ukraine and China were important economic and strategic trade partners.

Ukraine’s TSN TV channel, in turn, reported that Kuleba and Wang had discussed ways to peacefully settle the conflict; however, the Ukrainian foreign minister has not yet commented on the outcome of the discussion. "The meeting lasted longer than expected and we did not have time to talk to Kuleba. He is scheduled to hold another series of meetings, and not only in Guangzhou," the TV channel’s reporter accompanying the Ukrainian delegation said on air.

According to the journalist, the meeting lasted over three hours. "Apart from bilateral relations, the parties also discussed the peace plan. The Chinese Foreign ministry reiterated that China called for an early ceasefire and a political solution," she pointed out, citing sources in the Ukrainian delegation.

Kuleba is on a visit to China on July 23-26 at Wang’s invitation.