Hu, Putin reveal 'Year of Russia' (China Daily) Updated: 2006-01-02 07:33
President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged New Year's
greetings at the weekend, and welcomed the start of the Year of Russia in China.
In his message to his counterpart, President Hu said China will launch the
Year of Russia in 2006, with Russia holding the Year of China in 2007. The
pioneering project will greatly stimulate the comprehensive development of
Sino-Russian relations, Hu said.
"The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the upcoming Year of
Russia, the president said. "We will co-operate closely with our Russian
counterparts, make careful preparations and spare no efforts in implementing the
programme, so as to ensure the event becomes a complete success."
In his message, President Hu said that China and Russia are each other's
largest neighbours, and they both want to enjoy a good relationship.
Co-operation and development are the common tasks of the two countries as
strategic partners, Hu said.
Both being permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and Russia
share joint responsibilities to maintain peace and stability in the region and
the world at large, the Chinese leader added.
In recent years, following the Sino-Russian Good-Neighbourly Treaty of
Friendship and Co-operation, China and Russia have gained significant
achievements in enhancing political mutual trust, strategic co-operation and
traditional friendship, Hu said.
He said he hoped the two countries would continue to work closely together in
the new year, to further strengthen bilateral exchanges and co-operation, so as
to push co-operation between the two countries to a new level.
In his congratulatory message, Russian President Putin said that in the past
12 months, the increasing mutual trust and rapid development of cultural and
economic co-operation of the two nations reached a new high.
He pointed out that Sino-Russian strategic co-operative partnership has
played an important role in keeping global peace and security.
As the first guideline for the two countries to co-operate in various fields,
the Sino-Russian Good-Neighbourly Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation is being
implemented smoothly, the president said.
He said the Year of Russia in China and the "Year of China" in Russia are
part of the efforts to further strengthen the two sides' strategic co-operative
partnership on the basis of mutual respect and trust.
The Russian president also expressed his belief that the Year of Russia in
China will provide new opportunities for both countries to further expand
bilateral co-operation, and benefit the population in both countries.
(China Daily 01/02/2006 page2)
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