Foreign and Military Affairs

Russia-China Friendship Association selects new leaders

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-12-07 06:48

MOSCOW - The Russia-China Friendship Association (RCFA) has selected new leaders here Monday at the eighth council meeting.

The new central council of the RCFA consist 143 members. The incumbent RCFA president Mikhail Titarenko was reelected the post, so did the incumbent RCFA honorary chairman Sergei Tikhvinsky.

First deputy chairmen included Vasily Zhukov, rector of Russia' s State Social University, and Galina Kulikova, senior researcher at the Far East Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences.

Titarenko hailed the gigantic amount of work the association has accomplished over the past 7 years, while speaking highly of the development of Russia-China ties in various sectors such as politics, economy and humanities.

Russia-China relationship is not only bilaterally effective, but also served as a key force in safeguarding global peace and stability in that the two countries have been coordinated with each other within several international platforms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, G20, the United Nations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, said Titarenko.

Chinese ambassador to Russia Li Hui who also attended the meeting said the RCFA has made important contribution in boosting mutual understanding and friendship between Chinese and Russian people, deepening interaction and integration, as well as consolidating the social basis of Sino-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation.

RCFA as a vital force in people-to-people diplomacy between China and Russia, said the ambassador, plays an indispensable role in promoting China-Russia friendship for generations and common prosperity.

Over 200 representatives from Russia's two houses of the parliament, the Russian Foreign Ministry and RCFA members attended the council meeting.