SHANGHAI. Oct 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Both Russia and China have reaffirmed their support for the formation of a democratic coalition government in Afghanistan that would represent all ethnic groups, enjoy a wide backing from the international community, and maintain friendly ties with neighboring states.
Russia and China are unanimous in this opinion, "and we will cooperate under the UN aegis," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told journalists after meeting with his Chinese counterpart Tang Jiaxuan on Wednesday.
Anti-terrorist actions should be resolute everywhere including Afghanistan, he said. However, Ivanov and Tang reaffirmed the importance of Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In the long term, the situation in Afghanistan cannot be settled through military action alone, he said. The international community should promote a post-conflict settlement under UN aegis, he added.
Commenting on Russia-Chinese relations, Ivanov pointed out that they are "on the rise." The implementation of large-scale bilateral projects is underway and "we expect a record-high turnover" this year, he noted.
Furthermore, Ivanov briefed Tang on Russian-U.S. consultations related to missile defense.
Ivanov and Tang met in the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum that began its work in Shanghai on Wednesday.
The meeting preceded the upcoming working visit of Chinese Vice President Jintao Hu to Moscow. Chinese officials reported that the visit was scheduled for October 27.
Russia's First Deputy Chief-of-Staff Yuri Baluyevsky attended the Ivanov-Tang talks.