Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed on Tuesday (local time) evening his intention to prioritize China for his inaugural international visit following his re-election over the weekend.
According to an exclusive report from Reuters, Putin is slated to embark on his first foreign trip of his new presidential term to China in May, where he will engage in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
During a meeting with parliamentary groups, Gennady Zyuganov, the head of the Communist Party, urged Putin to choose Beijing for his inaugural trip, as reported by Russia’s official news agency TASS.
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“I hope that your first visit will be to the East, and not to the West. Comrade (Chinese President) Xi Jinping is waiting for you to visit, he loves our country very much,” TASS quoted Zyuganov as saying.
In response, Putin pledged to consider the suggestion seriously. “I will definitely – without any jokes – take into account what you just said,” Putin affirmed with a smile, as reported by TASS.
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While Western governments criticized Putin’s recent landslide election victory as unjust and undemocratic, China and North Korea extended congratulations to the veteran Russian leader for securing another six years in office.
