Paris, EFE.- France on Wednesday asked China to increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine and on Iran to end the escalation of its nuclear program.
This appeal from Paris took place during the meeting between the French Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonnaand the head of Chinese foreign policy, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
The Russian invasion of Ukraine played the leading role in a good part of the meeting, according to a statement from the French Ministry, which noted that Colonna asked Wang to “intensify pressure on Russia in order to return to respect for the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter.”
In addition, he stressed the “unacceptable nature of Iranian support for the Russian war of aggression” on Ukraine, which has generated “a firm response from the European Union and a worsening of Iran’s international isolation.”
Colonna also called for China to “support the efforts launched to convince Iran to end the escalation” of its nuclear program, which causes the risk of “a major proliferation crisis that would have very negative consequences on regional and international stability.” added the French Foreign Ministry.
Earlier, Wang Yi had met President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee, and both insisted on the importance of upholding international law in the war in Ukraine.
As in the subsequent meeting with Colonna, the meeting at the Élysée was led largely by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which will be one year old on the 24th, and its “consequences on the most vulnerable countries, especially in matters of food security and financing capacity”, indicated sources from the French presidential headquarters.
The French president insisted on the consequences of the conflict “on international peace and security” as well as the support of Paris “for an attacked country.”
Both “stated the common goal of contributing to peace in compliance with international law,” the French sources added.
Despite the fact that China has quietly supported Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, the war and Moscow’s attempt to annex occupied territories have clashed with Beijing’s traditional policy of respecting international law and defending the territorial integrity of states. .
Macron also explained to Wang the objectives of the international One Forest Summit that the French head of state will co-chair in Libreville on March 2, as well as the summit on a new financial pact to be held in June in Paris and the Conference on Oceans that France and Costa Rica will co-chair in 2025.
The Chinese official will meet tomorrow with Macron’s main diplomatic adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, for a session of the Paris-Beijing strategic dialogue.
Wang, who is currently director of the Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Foreign Affairs Commission, was foreign minister from 2013 to the end of last year.
