Russian Armed Forces are willing to conduct further cooperation with China within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said visiting Russian Chief of General Staff in Beijing on Sunday.

 

Yury Baluyevsky, chief of General Staff of Russian Armed Forces, as the guest of his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie, held talks with Liang on Sunday, discussing the preparation of a joint anti-terror military exercise between the SCO member countries, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, in April in Russia.

 

The SCO, founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, aims to promote regional security and fight against terrorism. During a SCO defense ministers' meeting in Beijing in April last year, the six SCO member countries agreed to stage a joint anti-terror military exercise in 2007 in Russia.

 

Russian side highly emphasizes the strategic partnership with China and hopes to work together with China for the joint anti-terror military exercise, Baluyevsky said.

 

The two sides also held in-depth discussion on further exchanges and cooperation.

 

Liang, chief of general staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, said that the Chinese side is ready to promote the friendly and cooperative military ties with Russia.

 

The China-Russia military ties gained momentum in 2006, the "Year of Russia" in China, Liang said, adding the China-Russia ties have progressed into a "historical level," which meets both sides' interests and helps safeguard the peace and stability in the region.

 

As 2007 marks "the Year of China" in Russia, which features fruitful exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' armed forces, Liang voiced his hope that the two sides will enhance coordination and work closely to ensure the smooth going of SCO military exchanges, and further deepen the China-Russia strategic partnership.

 

The "Year of China," an event of bilateral exchanges in Russia, will achieve fruitful results like the reciprocal event last year in China, with the support and participation of both sides, Liang added.

 

Echoing Liang's comment, Baluyevsky said the Russian side is "satisfied" with development of Russia-China strategic partnership, and will make persistent efforts to promote military links between the two countries to a new height.

 

Baluyevsky also met separately with Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and Cao Gangchuan, the defense minister and also vice chairman of the CMC. 

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2007)