Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said Russian-Chinese relations are developing on a healthy track and anticipated that his upcoming official visit to China would be fruitful.

Speaking with Chinese journalists in a recent interview in Moscow, the senior Russian official expressed his willingness to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation with his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, during the eighth regular meeting between the Russian prime minister and the Chinese premier scheduled on Sept. 22-25.

Kasyanov said the meeting would promote the economic development and improve the people's living standards in both countries by resolving problems in a constructive way under the good tradition of mutual trust and beneficial cooperation.

The Russian prime minister foresaw a further development in the bilateral relations based on equality and mutually beneficial cooperation. The sincerity shared by Russia and China to coordinate respective interests for joint collaboration will guarantee a future prosperous development of the bilateral ties.

He suggested that the bilateral trade system be upgraded and restructured by increasing the ratio of manufacture machines, hi-tech products and products of high additional value so as to realize the goal of doubling the trade turnover. He attached special importance to the cooperation in the field of energy industry with China.

Kasyanov also highlighted the forthcoming second summit of the prime ministers of the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which he will also participate in on Sept. 23 in Beijing.

The summit may pass the SCO budget and some other financial documents, which will help to basically finalize the organizational framework for the mechanism in accordance with the SCO Charter and other relevant resolutions adopted in the SCO Moscow Summit held in May this year, said Kasyanov.

The Russian prime minister considered it a key task for the summit to push forward the development of the economic partnership among SCO member states, including China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

A draft plan for the long-term multilateral economic and trade cooperation within the mechanism has been ready for examination and will hopefully be approved at the summit, said Kasyanov.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2003)