Russia views China as a trusted educational cooperation partner and the China-Russia Years of Education (2026-2027) will strengthen bilateral educational and people-to-people ties, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov said at a recent interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN).
Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay a state visit to China on May 19-20 at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. His visit comes as the two neighbors have designated 2026 and 2027 as the China-Russia Years of Education.
"We believe it is highly reasonable to designate 2026 and 2027 as the China-Russia Years of Education. We expect in-depth exchanges and cooperation to keep expanding, and pay mutual attention to education resources in both countries. The number of Chinese students in Russia is rising, with over 56,000 pursuing formal higher education degrees and around 10,000 attending pre-university courses," said Falkov.
The minister said the sci-tech cooperation is an important part of the bilateral educational collaboration.
"Emerging cutting-edge technologies bring genuine challenges to current education systems. Advanced scientific expertise, constant knowledge upgrading and sci-tech cooperation are essential for modern economic development. For this reason, partnering closely with our trusted friend is the optimal choice," he said.
Russia views China as trusted educational cooperation partner: minister
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday the outcome of the ongoing Qatar-mediated consultations hinges on Washington's responses to questions raised by Iran.
Araghchi said an Iranian delegation had traveled to Qatar on Saturday for further discussions, adding that his aide was there to continue consultations with mediators.
The two-day talks remained underway, with no final conclusion reached. Araghchi expressed hope that the United States would rationally opt for diplomacy over other approaches.
An official briefed on the negotiations told the media that Qatar had maintained contact with the White House during the talks. The day before, Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks with Iranian counterparts in Tehran, aiming to clinch a U.S.-Iran agreement to avert renewed conflict after the U.S. midterm elections.
In an interview with Al Jazeera on Saturday, Araghchi dismissed reports of possible meetings as media speculation, saying Iran saw no need to meet with American officials at present. He said Tehran would decide whether to hold direct or indirect negotiations after Washington accepted Iran's conditions.
According to Araghchi, Iran's conditions include recognition of a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran had worked out with Oman, and the closure of other routes.
He said Tehran also sought the lifting of sanctions imposed after the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a reduction in U.S. military forces in the region, the restoration of sanctions waivers for Iranian oil exports, and the release of all frozen Iranian funds, including those held in Qatar.
Iran also demanded an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, he said.
Araghchi said mediators had presented proposals concerning Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran was reviewing as part of what he described as a second phase.
The Iranian foreign minister also said a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance had been reviewed at high-level meetings, describing the American effort to open the door to broader dialogue and understanding as a "positive step."
Iran says outcome of Qatar-mediated talks hinges on US response
