Sino-Russian ties have entered into a very sound phase as the
leaders of both countries have built mutual trust and a cooperative
partnership, exchanged high-level visits frequently and coordinated
closely in major international affairs.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin made the remarks during his meeting
here Friday with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail
Mikhailovich Kasyanov, which was permeated with a cordial and
friendly atmosphere.
President Jiang asked Prime Minister Kasyanov to send his greetings
to President Vladimir Putin, saying he was looking forward to
meeting his Russian counterpart at the leaders' summit of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), to be held later this
year.
Hailing the fruitful seventh regular meeting between the two
countries' prime ministers, Jiang said he was satisfied with the
healthy development in politics and economic cooperation between
China and Russia.
The Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and
Cooperation he and president Putin signed last year has been
implemented successfully, he said, and Sino-Russian relations have
made significant progress.
Regular meetings between the prime ministers of the two countries
have proceeded smoothly and contributed tremendously in boosting
substantial cooperation in various fields, the Chinese president
said.
The expansion of bilateral trade and economic cooperation is
essential for the economic growth of both countries, he said,
expressing the hope that both sides would continue to work towards
their great potential and co-operate fully in this area while
enriching the Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership.
On
his part, Kasyanov described his meeting with the Chinese Premier
Zhu Rongji as successful and fruitful since they had discussed many
key cooperation projects, petroleum and natural gas projects in
particular, reached a consensus on a number of issues and signed a
series of documents.
The meeting had also implemented the spirit and principles of the
Russia-China Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation
as well as the consensus reached by the presidents of the two
countries, he acknowledged.
Speaking highly of Russia-China bilateral ties, Kasyanov stressed
that the treaty is of historic significance and provides guidance
for the development of the bilateral strategic cooperative
partnership in the 21st century.
Russia will become all the more enthusiastic to cooperate with
China, so as to lift the bilateral partnership into a new high, he
added.
On
Thursday, Premier Zhu Rongji and Kasyanov held the seventh regular
meeting between the two countries' prime ministers in Shanghai.
(Xinhua News
Agency August 23, 2002)