Russia pledges to solve dispute on detained boats

MOSCOW - Russia has determined to solve the dispute with China on two recently detained Chinese fishing boats through bilateral mechanisms, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Friday.

According to the Chinese Consulate in Vladivostok, Russia's Far-East region, two Chinese fishing ships from China's eastern Shandong province were seized by the Russian side respectively on Sunday and Monday.

The local coastal service notified the consulate on Tuesday that the two ships were detained for their entry into Russia's exclusive economic zone.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction with Russia over a reported attack on a Chinese fishing vessel, which has left a fisherman missing.

Lukashevich stressed that Russia and China have bilateral mechanisms to settle all disputes, including this incident.

"This is a normal situation. We and our Chinese colleagues have all bilateral mechanisms to settle all disputes. I think this will be the case again," the spokesman said.

China has summoned a Russian diplomat and demanded Russia release the boats and let the fishermen go quickly and make all-out efforts to search for the missing sailor.