FM: ASEAN meetings accomplish results
( 2003-06-21 01:00) (China Daily)
ASEAN meetings have achieved important results, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing said on Friday.
Participants to the ASEAN Regional Forum and other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meetings have exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern, and have enhanced mutual understanding among themselves, said Li, who is attending a number of thetalks.The sessions have discussed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) nuclear issue, and the DPRK and the United States made clear their respective positions on the issue, the foreign minister said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency on Friday.
"My feeling is that both the DPRK and the United States hope for a peaceful solution to the issue, so do all the other participants who hope the process of the Beijing talks can go on. The participants have also talked deeply about the future development direction of the forum and reached common understanding on co-operation in anti-terrorism and in the non-traditional security area,'' he said.
"During the ASEAN plus three, ASEAN plus one sessions and informal meeting of the foreign ministers of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK), we agreed unanimously that it is necessary to deepen the East Asian co-operation process and strengthen co-operation among the nations of the region. We also discussed many specific projects for this purpose.''On Thursday, Li met the foreign ministers of Russia, India and Australia.
At a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Li said that during Chinese President Hu Jintao's recent visit to Russia, leaders of the two countries stressed the need to stick to the principles of developing long-term good neighbourhood relations and mutual beneficial co-operation, creating a new level of Sino-Russian relationships. "I believe the Sino-Russian strategic co-operative relations will be improved constantly and benefit the people of the two countries,'' Li said.
Ivanov said the Russian Government has highlighted Hu's visit, believing the common view reached by the leaders is of great significance to deepening bilateral relations.
While meeting Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, Li said the upcoming visit by Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to China is an important event and China will make full preparations for the trip.Sinha expressed delight about the frequent high ranking visits and the rapid growth of economic exchanges between the two countries. He said he believed dialogue cannot only solve disputes, but also deepen the relationship which has a bright future.Li told Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer that mutual visits of the leaders of the two countries have played an unreplaceable role in improving bilateral relations between the countries.
He said the Chinese Government is preparing for the exchange of further high-level visits, hoping it will accelerate all-round co-operation between the two nations.
Downer said Australia attaches great importance to its relationship with China and sticks to the one-China policy.
Li also met ROK Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan.
They spoke highly of the development of bilateral relations between the two nations.
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