“The two politicians discussed other current issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and security across the Eurasian space and the Asia-Pacific region,” the diplomatic service announced.

The message added that Lavrov and Sun also stressed an “unprecedented” level of Russian-Chinese relations and reaffirmed their desire to promote BRICS cooperation, including the Russian presidency of the bloc in the current year.

February 24 marked the second anniversary of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. The aims of which, according to President Vladimir Putin, are to protect the population from “genocide by Kiev.”

It also aims to counter the national security risks posed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)’s eastward expansion.

iff/ro/gfa