Visiting Chinese President Jiang Zemin said in the Russian city of Sochi Sunday that China and Russia need to make continued efforts to promote exchanges and mutual understanding at local levels so as to expand cooperation between the two countries.

In his meeting with Viktor Kazantsev, Russian Presidential Envoy in the Southern Federal District, Jiang said that on the basis of the good-neighborly treaty of friendship and cooperation between China and Russia, Sino-Russian relations has been developing in an overall manner in recent years, with exchanges and cooperation at local levels taking an important part of the bilateral relationship.

The Chinese president said that the two countries need to make continued efforts to promote exchanges and mutual understanding at local levels in order to expand cooperation between China and Russia and place the bilateral relationship on a firmer basis.

Kazantsev said that with the signing of the good-neighborly treaty of friendship and cooperation between the two countries, cooperation between Russia and China has entered a brand new era.

He said the Southern Federal District is willing and ready to cooperate with the Chinese counterparts to increase exchanges and friendship, making contribution to the overall ties between the two countries.

Jiang arrived here on Saturday on a brief weekend visit and will leave for Latvia on Monday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 10, 2002)