Beijing
During a notable international appearance, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed admiration for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extended an invitation for global investment in Russia’s Northern Sea Route, emphasizing the potential for facilitating increased trade between the East and the West.
On his second known trip outside the former Soviet Union since the Ukraine conflict, Putin acknowledged the significance of China’s contemporary revitalization of the ancient Silk Road, hailing Xi as a dear friend and commending the BRI for fostering global unity. The Russian president highlighted the shared aspiration for equitable and mutually beneficial collaboration, emphasizing sustainable economic progress and societal well-being, with due respect for cultural diversity and each nation’s right to its own developmental trajectory.
Putin emphasized Russia’s commitment to bolstering a comprehensive network of transportation infrastructure across the vast expanse of the country, notably leveraging the potential of the Northern Sea Route, stretching from Murmansk near the Norwegian border to the Bering Strait near Alaska.
He extended an open invitation for interested nations to actively participate in the development of the route, asserting Russia’s readiness to provide reliable icebreaker navigation, communication, and supply services. Notably, he announced plans for year-round navigation for ice-class cargo ships along the entire length of the Northern Sea Route from next year.
Accompanying Putin were high-level officials from Moscow, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, and other key government figures, underscoring the significance of the occasion.
