The ceremony of Chinese President Xi Jinping's official meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin took place on Tuesday at the Georgievsky Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace (GKP).
The Chinese leader arrived at the main entrance of the GKP and walked up the grand staircase, with a guard of honor standing along it.
Putin and Xi Jinping walked toward each other from different ends of the Georgievsky Hall. Russian and Chinese flags were set up in the center of the hall, and the leaders met by them and shook hands to greet each other. An orchestra played the national anthems of the two countries. Members of both countries' delegations were also in the hall. The leaders then proceeded together to the Catherine Hall, where talks in narrow format began, followed by the delegations.
The talks between Putin and Xi Jinping are taking place behind closed doors. However, at the beginning of the conversation, media representatives were able to take several protocol photo and video shots. "We have agreed that reporters will take pictures, and we will meet their curiosity at this point, and then in a more private mode [we will continue working]," Putin explained. The press also heard that the Russian leader addressed his Chinese counterpart as "dear friend" and greeted members of the delegation, recalling that he had held a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping on Monday, during which they discussed "all current issues of both international character and bilateral relations."
Russia is represented by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Presidential Aides Maxim Oreshkin and Yury Ushakov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to China Igor Morgulov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina, FSMTC Director Dmitry Shugaev, Roscosmos CEO Yuri Borisov.
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Photo: Pavel Byrkin/TASS
Based on materials TASS