Russia should coordinate the development of the Far East region with Chinese efforts to rejuvenate its northeastern old industrial bases, said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev?in Moscow?on Thursday.

The development strategy of the Far East to be drafted soon by the Russian government will be connected with China's plans of rejuvenating old industrial bases in the Northeast, said Medvedev when chairing a session on cooperation between Russia's border areas, China and Mongolia attended by Russia's federal and regional officials.

The Russian head of state said he and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao have already discussed the issue.

China has drafted a relevant program, said Medvedev, while Russia in return has made its own proposals on which experts are negotiating.

Such work must continue, he added.

Meanwhile, the president stressed that both China and Mongolia "are close strategic partners" of Russia.

Russia's competition with China and Mongolia in individual sectors, which is normal under conditions of a market economy, should not hamper the development of ties with the two countries based on mutual-beneficial cooperation, he said.

Medvedev arrived at the Khabarovsk City, the capital of the Khabarovsk region and the Far Eastern Federal District of Russia, on Thursday morning to attend the 2009 Russia-European Union (EU) summit.

(Xinhua News Agency May 21, 2009)