China and Russia will further enhance their cooperation at the
regional level, a promising and important part of the strategic
cooperation between the two countries, visiting President Hu Jintao
said in Kazan on Wednesday.
"Recent years have witnessed a good momentum for the development
of the Sino-Russian relationship, which has reached an
unprecedented level," President Hu said in meeting with Mintimer
Shaimiyev, president of Russia's Tatarstan republic.
Regional cooperation is an important part of the strategic
cooperation that the two countries are engaged in, Hu said.
Regional cooperation and exchanges between China and Russia have
seen remarkable growth in recent years, and still greater
opportunities lie ahead, he said.
"President Putin and I have agreed to give priority to the
enhancement of regional cooperation between the two countries," Hu
added.
China values cooperation with Tatarstan, and will continue to
encourage Chinese companies to carry out mutually beneficial
cooperation with their counterparts in the Russian republic in
infrastructure, scientific research, and in the manufacturing,
processing and petrochemical industries, hu said.
Hu also called for strengthening cooperation between China and
Tatarstan in education, culture and tourism.
Shaimiyev said the development of the Russia-China strategic
partnership has brought benefits to the peoples of the two
countries.
Shaimiyev pledged efforts to promote cooperative ties with some
of China's regions and said the two sides could carry out
cooperation in the petrochemical industry, machinery manufacturing
and scientific research.
Hu arrived in Kazan, capital of the Tatarstan republic, on
Tuesday after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Hu had visited Kazan State University -- one of the oldest
universities in Russia, and the Kazan Helicopter Plant earlier on
Wednesday.
(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2007)
