Kathmandu. Russia has given clear signs that it can address China’s potential energy shortages amid uncertainty over global energy supplies caused by the US-Israel and Iran wars in the Middle East. Moscow has positioned itself as an alternative supplier, especially in the wake of disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference in Beijing that his country was able to fill the gaps in energy needs of other countries that want to cooperate, including China. Asked about the possibility that blockades in the Strait of Hormuz could affect energy supplies, he said Russia had “plenty of resources”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to visit China in the first half of this year, he said. According to Moscow’s state news agency TASS, the visit is expected to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Western sanctions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have significantly deepened economic and political cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. In recent years, the coordination between the two countries in energy, trade and diplomacy has been intensifying.

During his two-day visit to China, Lavrov met Chinese President Xi Jinping. After the meeting, he described Russia-China relations as “capable and stable in the face of any challenge”. At the same time, these relations are playing a role to stabilize the international affairs and are gaining importance globally.

He said that many countries of the world want peace and cooperation rather than instability or conflict, and in such a situation, Russia-China cooperation is helping to maintain balance.

Lavrov’s visit comes at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping is holding high-level meetings with high-level leaders of different countries in the same week. Among them are Vietnamese leader Tow Lam and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.