Putin looks forward to meeting Xi at B&R forum in May

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Lima, Peru, Nov. 19, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he looks forward to meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Belt and Road Forum on International Cooperation to be held in Beijing next month.

Putin said that his country enthusiastically echoes China's Belt and Road Initiative while meeting with the visiting member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Li Zhanshu, on Wednesday.

Putin noted that high-level interactions between the two countries are intensified, mechanism exchanges in various areas steadily promoted, and cooperation in trade, people-to-people and local government levels getting deeper.

Russia-China communication and coordination in major international and regional affairs are effective, he said.

Putin said he is satisfied with the development of bilateral relations and their mutual trust and cooperation reach the highest level in history.

The Belt and Road Initiative, comprising the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was first proposed by China in 2013. It is expected to cover more than 60 percent of the world's population and more than one third of global economic output.

Li, who is also a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, conveyed Xi's cordial greetings and good wishes to Putin.

He said that the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination between the two countries is in the best period in history and serves as an example of a new type of international relationship with win-win cooperation as its core.

China-Russia relations are experiencing maturity, stability and developing at a high level, Li said.

Regardless of fluctuations in international situation, he said, China and Russia will not change their policy of cementing and deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination, their goals to realize common development and rejuvenation, and their determination to jointly safeguarding international fairness and justice and securing global peace and stability.

The cooperation mechanism between the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Russian Presidential Executive Office is unique for both countries in dealing with foreign affairs, Li said, adding that this mechanism demonstrates the high level and distinctiveness of China-Russia relations.

China is willing to work with Russia to further promote exchanges and cooperation between the two offices so that they can better serve the interactions between the two countries' leaders and the development of bilateral ties, Li said.

China and Russia need to continue supporting each other on issues of core interests and major concerns, further deepen cooperation in various fields, implement big projects of strategic significance, and advance pragmatic cooperation to an omnidirectional and wider scope and a higher level.

Also on Wednesday, Li met with Anton Vaino, chief of staff of the Russian Presidential Executive Office, and Sergei Ivanov, special presidential representative for environmental protection, ecology and transport.