Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with BRICS leaders via video conference at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Russia, Nov 17, 2020. (ALEXEI NIKOLSKY, SPUTNIK, KREMLIN POOL PHOTO VIA AP)

MOSCOW - China sets a good example for other countries of how to successfully contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

"China has shown to the world that one can successfully defeat the coronavirus," Putin said Tuesday during the 12th BRICS Summit hosted by Russia via video conference.

Inter-regional cooperation between Russia and China plays a key role in strengthening bilateral relations

Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson 

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"China's anti-pandemic results are indeed significant and remarkable, setting a good example for other countries," he said.

The BRICS countries -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa -- should step up cooperation when it comes to fighting the pandemic, he added.

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Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday that the two countries have sustained high-level inter-regional cooperation despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inter-regional cooperation between Russia and China plays a key role in strengthening bilateral relations, Zakharova said at her weekly briefing.

She also noted that participants in the video conference on Nov. 12 on Russia-China inter-regional cooperation in the post-pandemic era expressed the necessity to intensify cooperation on various issues.