Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at an opening ceremony for an exhibit of photographs and documents related to the history of Soviet-Chinese and Russian-Chinese interaction, Moscow, September 30, 2019

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, Ambassador Zhang Hanhui, friends,

I am happy to welcome you all to the opening of a photo documentary exhibit dedicated to the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries. I would also like to congratulate our Chinese friends on the 70^th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which will be celebrated tomorrow. Our TV channels have prepared a series of very interesting reports and historical facts on this subject. I am sure all our people have learned a lot from recently opened historical documents.

These two dates - the establishment of diplomatic relations and the creation of the PRC - are inextricably linked.  The Soviet Union was the first country in the world to recognise the People’s Republic of China on October 2, 1949 - the very next day after it was proclaimed by Mao Zedong. Back then, the new China found a dependable friend in the person of our country which provided it with much-needed support in creating its statehood, restoring its economy and strengthening its position in the international arena.

Of course, relations between the two nations are not limited to just seven decades. They are rooted in the depths of centuries, passing through which we learned to understand each other, interact, and be friends and good neighbours. An unprecedented level of cooperation, which today is described as a comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction, is the result of joint efforts. During a state visit to Russia by President Xi Jinping in June, the leaders of the two states announced that the Russian-Chinese partnership was entering a new era which means an even greater degree of mutual support across all areas.

Numerous anniversary events are being held these days. This exhibit we are presenting was made possible by the Foreign Ministry using materials from Russia’s Foreign Policy Archive, as well as sources from a number of Chinese archives. Here you can find copies of dozens of truly rare documents and photographs that capture the most outstanding chapters of our common history among which, of course, are notes on establishing diplomatic relations signed by Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Zhou Enlai and then Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko.

I am convinced that the exhibit will serve to preserve the memory of the historical milestones of our common past and will be a notable event in a series of celebrations dedicated to this date.

Thank you.