OREANDA-NEWS Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrault discussed the crises in Ukraine and the Middle East in a telephone conversation on Monday, China Central Television reported.

"The sides also exchanged views on issues of common interest, including the situation in Iran and the Ukrainian crisis," the TV channel said in a report.

Wang Yi presented China's principled position, noting that Chinese President Xi Jinping's four-point initiative to build a new security architecture in the Middle East is of public benefit, contributing to peace and stability in the region, and also plays a constructive role.