Sergei Ivanov, who is also a Russian deputy prime minister, is meeting Saturday with Tang Jiaxuan, Chinese President Hu Jintao's special envoy, who is on an official visit to Moscow.
"The relations between China and Russia went beyond the framework of bilateral relations long time ago," Ivanov said. "This is not accidental since our relations have a great influence on the international security. They are not aimed against any third countries, but they help to combat effectively modern threats and challenges. It is obvious that one of the main threats is the expansion of the weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies."
The minister said that the issues concerning the expansion of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies would dominate the talks with the Chinese presidential envoy.
On Friday the Russian foreign minister said Russia and China opposed UN sanctions against North Korea, which recently held an underground nuclear weapons test.
The UN Security Council is expected to vote Saturday on a resolution to impose sanctions on the secretive communist state, which claimed Monday to have carried out a nuclear weapons test. In response to concerns from North Korea's neighbors, China and Russia, the United States has ruled out military force against the country, but continues to press for sanctions.
China insists that measures being taken against North Korea must not be overly tough, but should aim to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and ensure stability and security in northeast Asia. The two countries called Friday for a resumption of six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program as soon as possible.
