Putin:"Iran's nuclear issue must be resolved through dialogue"

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kwon Sook-hee = Chinese President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the afternoon of the 19th and exchanged opinions on the situation in the Middle East, China's state-run Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television (CCTV) reported.

According to reports, President Putin said,"Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities is very dangerous, and an escalation of the conflict is not in the interests of either side," and stressed that "the Iranian nuclear issue must be resolved through dialogue and negotiations."

He added that "the conflicting parties should ensure the safety of third-country citizens," and that "Russia hopes to communicate closely with China and actively work to ease tensions and maintain peace and stability in the region."

"This proves once again that the world has entered a period of new turmoil and transformation," Xi said, adding that"if the conflict escalates further, not only the parties concerned but also countries in other regions will suffer great damage."

The city council then detailed four positions on the current situation in the Middle East.

The city council said the parties to the armed conflict, especially Israel, must immediately cease fire, that the safety of civilians is the top priority, and that the fundamental solution is dialogue and negotiation, and that the efforts of the international community are essential.

"China is willing to continue communicating with all countries and play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East," Xi said, adding that he"highly values the political trust and high-level strategic cooperation between China and Russia."

suki@yna.co.kr