China, Russia and Iran will hold a meeting in Beijing to discuss the "Iranian nuclear issue."
The three parties will exchange views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues of mutual interest, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said. The two countries will be sending their deputy prime ministers to attend the meeting, scheduled for Friday.
China's Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu will chair the meeting attended by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov Sergey Alexeevich and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
Both Iran and Russia share good relations with China. It is to be noted that both the US and Israel have warned Iran against pursuing a nuclear programme.
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The reports of a meeting come a day after the three countries conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East. The joint drills, called the Maritime Security Belt 2025, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all crude oil traded worldwide passes.
This is the fifth year the three countries took part in the drills.
Both China and Russia have deep interests in Iran. China has continued to purchase Iranian crude oil despite facing Western sanctions. Beijing also remains one of the top markets for Iranian imports. Russia, meanwhile, has relied on Iran for the supply of bomb-carrying drones it uses in its war on Ukraine.
