Medvedev, Lavrov to meet Chinese foreign minister

MOSCOW (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will
meet Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Friday to discuss
preparations for the official visit of President Hu Jintao to Russia and
the participation of both leaders in the jubilee summit of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization due in Astana in June.
Other issues will include joint efforts in promoting cooperation in
the BRICS framework, a Kremlin official said.
Jiechi will also meet his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov who is
likely to raise the issue of the debt of the Chinese National Petroleum
Corporation for Russian oil supplied through the East Siberia - Pacific
Ocean pipeline. Russia's Transneft Company said the Chinese side had
unilaterally decreased payments because of disagreement with one pricing
parameter.
Lavrov and Jechi will also discuss the situation in Libya and Syria in
order to coordinate steps in the UN Security Council aimed at political
settlement in the countries.
They will also discuss the fight against terrorism following the
elimination of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.