The leaders of China and Belarus have expressed their "extreme interest" in a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. Lukashenko said that his country “fully supports” a Beijing plan for ending the war in Ukraine.
A statement was released after after the talks in Beijing.
Lukashenko is considered as a close ally of Russia's Vladimir Putin. His visit comes days after China sent its top diplomat Wangi Yi to meet Putin.
Lukashenko's meeting with Xi also coincides with the visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Central Asian nations to discuss the Ukraine war.
Last week, China had announced plans for peace talks.
China and Belarus "expressed deep concern" about the conflict and "extreme interest in the soonest establishment of peace in Ukraine," the Belarus state-run news agency Belta reported.
Lukashenko has aided the Russian leader in his war in Ukraine and observers have seen his trip to Beijing as another sign of China closing ranks with Russia and its allies, BBC reported. The peace plan of China was praised by the Belarus leader, it added.
The document urges respect for "sovereignty of all countries". It does not specifically say Russia must withdraw its troops from Ukraine and condemns the usage of "unilateral sanctions", reported BBC.
Political decisions should be aimed at first and foremost preventing a slide into global confrontation that will see no winners," he told Xi.
Lukashenko's three-day visit comes after China upgraded the status of its relationship with Belarus in September.
According to a Chinese readout of the meeting with Lukashenko, Xi had called for discarding "all Cold War mentality."
Xi added that countries "should stop politicising" the world economy and to "do things that will aid a ceasefire, cessation of war and a peaceful resolution."
Belarus has been a key ally for Russia from the very beginning of the conflict when it allowed Moscow to use the Belarusian border with Ukraine and Russia's respective interests, reported BBC.
