The significance of the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination is "being further highlighted", given the current complicated and frequently changing international situation, top legislator Zhang Dejiang said.

Zhang, while meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow during his trip to Russia from Tuesday to Thursday, said the relationship has showcased greater room for development and huge potential. Zhang is chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

Putin said the relationship is in its best shape of all time and that exchanges at various levels are frequent, adding he is fully confident about the future of the ties.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, during a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, that China and Russia should "further reinforce strategic cooperation". He also said the two countries should continue playing a constructive role in ensuring world peace and politically settling hot spot issues.

The senior diplomats of the two United Nations Security Council permanent members met at a time that tension lingers over the Korean Peninsula and Syria issues.

Wang said Beijing and Moscow "have maintained close coordination and cooperation on international and regional issues".

Wang also said that at a meeting on Thursday of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, China supported Russia's suggestions on the investigation of chemical weapons recently used in Syria.

Also, the two sides supported peaceful resolution of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through dialogue, during discussion of a statement issued by the UN Security Council regarding Pyongyang's nuclear program, Wang added.

On Thursday, the Security Council condemned the latest missile test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and demanded that Pyongyang not conduct any more nuclear tests, Reuters reported.

At the meeting on Friday, the two sides further exchanged views on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and agreed that the current phase is the key to the future development of the peninsula situation.

The two sides vowed to "strengthen communication and coordination, conduct joint efforts to manage and control the situation, and curb the inclination of taking a risk", according to an official release from the Foreign Ministry.

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(China Daily 04/22/2017 page1)