OSLO, July 6 (Reuters) - Norway wants China to use its ties to the Russian leadership to help bring about a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine and improve Beijing's relations with Europe, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on Monday.
"China is probably the country with the best and most direct access to the Russian leadership. We expect, hope and strongly urge China to use that channel," he told reporters after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Oslo. The biggest chunk of their discussion was devoted to Ukraine, Stoere said.
"There is a potential for deeper cooperation between Europe and China, but as long as this war goes on and China is a close partner of Russia, that is a limitation on that opportunity," he added.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, speaking earlier on Monday, said dialogue with China on ending the war had been "constructive and promising".
"I'm not a spokesperson for China. I'm not going to quote them, but there are some hints in what they say," he said when asked whether China had indicated it would help to bring Russia to the negotiating table.
Norwegian officials said negotiations should begin without conditions, starting with a ceasefire based on the current front line in Ukraine.
"That is, in itself, a major concession from Ukraine's side. It is inside their territory," Stoere said.
Wang was visiting Norway after stops in Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
The Chinese readout of the meeting made no mention of Russia, instead focusing on cooperation in trade and green technology.
Wang said China sought to work with Norway to "promote the construction of a more just and reasonable governance system," according to the statement published in state news agency Xinhua.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that a resolution to the war in Ukraine is "getting closer than people realize" and that he will talk about Ukraine during talks in Turkey this week at a NATO summit.
(Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis; Additional reporting by Joe Cash in Beijing; Editing by Deepa Babington and Stephen Coates)
