President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Li Zhanshu, friends, let me welcome in Moscow.
I know that you and your Russian counterpart Mr Vaino have discussed the current state of our bilateral relations and upcoming contacts between various agencies and at the highest level.
Our next contact will be with President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14–15, at the international conference the Chinese government is holding to promote the development of economic cooperation in the region and the world.
We supported these plans from the start, all the more so as they match our own plans to develop cooperation and integration processes in the post-Soviet space.
I think that this joint work will give added support to the unprecedentedly high level of bilateral relations our countries have developed over these past years. I would like to ask you to pass on my very best wishes to President Xi.
Director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Li Zhanshu (retranslated): Mr President,
As Director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China, I know well what it means to work day and night for China’s interests. I think the same goes for you. Today, therefore, I express my great gratitude to you for finding the time to meet me, despite your busy schedule, and I pass on the best wishes from your good friend President Xi Jinping. He is ready to meet with you in mid-May in Beijing.
Thanks to the initiatives and guidance coming from President Xi Jinping and Your Excellency, Chinese-Russian relations of strategic partnership and cooperation have taken on a mature, lasting nature. Our relations have reached a very high level today.
Before my departure, I went especially to see President Xi Jinping and asked him what he wanted to pass on to you. He told me to say that today, Chinese-Russian relations are going through their best period ever in our history.
Today, our relations are deservedly called an example of relations between great powers, characterised by cooperation and mutual benefit. Today, our relations are very solid, mature, and are distinguished by strategic cooperation and a lasting nature.
He also said that despite the serious changes in the international situation, we will continue to work with you unfailingly adhering to three constants, namely: regardless of the circumstances, we will not change our policy of deepening and developing our strategic partnership and cooperation; our policy, based on joint development and prosperity, will not change; and our joint efforts to defend peace and justice and promote cooperation in the world will not change. These were the words of President Xi Jinping.
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