Tang Jiaxuan of China and Igor Ivanov of Russia were holding bilateral talks in Brunei on the sidelines of the ongoing Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meetings.

Tang said that the China-Russia ties are "maturing" and "able to stand the test of the rapidly-changing international situation."

He believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin's planned visit to China late this year will promote the implementation of the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and the development of bilateral ties.

Hailing China-Russia ties as "of great vitality," Ivanov said that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will visit China soon for the seventh regular meeting between the two countries' prime ministers.

He said Kasyanov's upcoming visit heralds a new stage of long-term, all-round cooperation between the two neighbors and will lay the groundwork for Putin's travel to China.

The two ministers also discussed the situation on the Korea Peninsula and welcomed "positive signs" emerging between the North and South of the peninsula.

Both Pyongyang and Seoul have recently indicated readiness to re-open the inter-Korean dialogue after a clash in the Yellow Sea between their navies in June.

Tang and Ivanov agreed to enhance contacts between their two countries in helping defuse tensions on the Korea Peninsula.

They also exchanged views on Iraq, South Asia and the peace process in Afghanistan.

(China Daily August 2, 2002)