Leaders of Russia, China discuss bilateral ties, expressing their friendshi

The leaders of Russia and China sat down for talks in Vladivostok on Tuesday to discuss ways to promote bilateral relations and safeguard world peace and security. <br />They also highlighted their close friendship... and pledged to cooperate to combat international trade protectionism.<br />Kim Hyo-sun reports. <br /> Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping showcased their close friendship on Tuesday as they met in Vladivostok on the sidelines of the annual Eastern Economic Forum.<br /> After holding one-on-one talks,... the two leaders met again more casually,... this time, wearing kitchen aprons. <br />They demonstrated their cooking skills by frying traditional Russian pancakes,... known as bliny. <br />While praising the efforts taken by the leaders of the two Koreas to restore their relations,... Putin highlighted Washington's role in the process. <br /><br /> "We believe that an important element of general process of settlement of the situation around the Korean Peninsula is normalization of the relations between North Korea and the U.S." <br /><br />Referring to the roadmap laid out by Russia and China last year,... the two leaders also pledged to cooperate to solve the North's nuclear issue through diplomacy. <br /> President Xi highlighted that the two countries share common interests in many international issues,... and called for the need to cooperate more going forward. <br />He also made clear that they should fight unilateralism and trade protectionism worldwide,... in an apparent response to the Trump administration's trade policies. <br /> Putin and Xi also pledged to broaden the scope of cooperation in all areas, including investment, energy and finance. <br />Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News. <br />