BISHKEK — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on May 21 urged China and Russia to strengthen their comprehensive strategic coordination.

Wang made the remarks when meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers.

Wang said that against the volatile international backdrop, China and Russia should maintain close communication, strengthen comprehensive strategic coordination and safeguard the basic norms governing international relations and the common interests of the two countries.

China and Russia need to work together to lift SCO cooperation in various fields to a higher level, he said.

Wang stressed that the two sides should make concerted efforts to make preparations for President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Russia next month and his attendance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

He noted the two sides should take the opportunity of celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties to push forward China-Russia comprehensive strategic coordination into a new era.

Lavrov said the world today is characterized by outstanding uncertainties and highly complicated issues.

With the joint efforts of Russia and China, the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting has sent a positive signal to the world, which is conducive to maintaining the international system with the United Nations at its core and safeguarding the international order based on international law, said the Russian diplomat.

The two countries should work closely for a complete success of the SCO Bishkek Summit in June, said Lavrov.

Russia is ready to work with China to make preparations for Xi’s visit to Russia and his attendance at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, so as to inject new impetus into bilateral relations, noted Lavrov.

The two sides also exchanged views on Venezuelan crisis, the Iran nuclear deal and other international issues of common concerns.