Upon the coming of the new year of 2019, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia exchanged new year congratulatory messages.

Wang Yi expressed in the congratulatory message that in the outgoing year of 2018, under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin, China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has entered a new era, with breakthroughs made in cooperation across the board and more solid public opinion foundation and social foundation. Both sides have carried out intensified international strategic coordination, and played the role of a mainstay in safeguarding international order with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations at the core, safeguarding multilateralism as well as opposing protectionism and unilateralism. In the new year, the Chinese Foreign Ministry is willing to constantly strengthen communication and coordination with the Russian colleagues, and take the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia as an opportunity to comprehensively implement all the important consensuses reached by the two heads of state, further deepen bilateral cooperation in various areas and strategic coordination in international affairs, vigorously carry forward the peace concept of China-Russia everlasting friendship, better safeguard the common interests of the two countries and champion world peace and international fairness and justice.

Sergey Lavrov said in the congratulatory message that in the outgoing year of 2018, our two countries have constantly strengthened cooperation and coordination in diplomatic field, maintained close coordination in various multilateral platforms, jointly coped with traditional and new threats and challenges and shared the same or similar stances on a wide range of international and regional hotspot issues. In the new year, I am willing to continue working with you to carry out the closest cooperation in implementing all the important consensuses reached by the two heads of state, reinforce coordination and cooperation, promote the common positions of Russia and China under multilateral organizations and frameworks, and continuously carry out regular consultations regarding all international issues between the two Foreign Ministries.