Thirdly, the two countries need to push forward cooperation on major projects and interregional cooperation, he said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Brasilia, Brazil, April 15, 2010. [Ju Peng/Xinhua]

The fourth point, Hu said, is comprehensively deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges by organizing such activities as the "Year of the Chinese language" in Russia and exploring new ways of cooperation.

Hu said China is ready to work with Russia to expand cooperation among the BRIC nations in such sectors as economy and trade, finance, science and technology and culture, and strengthen the four nations' coordination and cooperation on major international and regional issues.

Hu also said China is willing to work with Russia to promote the construction of the G20 mechanism to ensure it develops in the direction that favors the emerging markets and the common interests of the developing countries, and to bring into play the strategic role of the SCO.

Medvedev said the Russian-Chinese strategic cooperative partnership has witnessed smooth development and both sides have maintained close high-level exchanges, which have played an important role in promoting bilateral ties.

Medvedev said both sides should make every effort to promote the strategic cooperative partnership by strengthening cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, finance, energy and transportation and enhancing people-to-people and cultural exchanges, within such frameworks as the BRIC, the G20 and the SCO.

Both sides should also intensify coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs, he noted.

Both presidents also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue and the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since they met on the sidelines of the Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Singapore last November.

In recent years, China and Russia have strengthened their strategic cooperative partnership with enhanced mutual political trust, and fruitful cooperation in all sectors. Both countries also have had close coordination on international and regional affairs.

Last year, the two countries celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties and held the "Year of the Russian language" in China.

Although the global economic slowdown affected bilateral trade, bilateral economic cooperation between China and Russia has improved with the trade structure optimized and significant progress achieved in energy cooperation.

"Relationship with Russia is one of the priorities of China's diplomacy. The two countries have enjoyed mutual support on issues that concern each other's core interests," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said on March 7.

Last year, the two countries signed a series of important cooperation agreements on oil, natural gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy and high-speed railway.

"We expect the China-Russia oil pipeline project to be completed by the end of this year and the pipeline will enter into operation next year. Moreover, the two countries are also committed to promoting cooperation between China's northeast region and Russia's far eastern and eastern Siberian region," the minister said.