Vladimir Putin had a separate meeting with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping.
The Russian President invited the Chinese leader to visit Russia and attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum next year.
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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr President, my dear friend,
Colleagues, once again, allow me to offer my heartfelt greetings to you.
We work together on a regular basis at numerous platforms, including on the sidelines of various international events. Right now, we are meeting here, in Latin America, Argentina, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. We always use such opportunities for the benefit of developing our bilateral relations.
Mr President, we are preparing for your visit to Russia next year. And I know that you have already received our offer to schedule this visit to coincide with the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Please review your schedule. If it is possible to time these two events together, we will be happy to see you there as our main guest.
I would like to acknowledge the efficient cooperation between our governments. Just recently, the Russian Prime Minister visited China and I know that you received him. I met with the Premier of the State Council of China in Singapore.
I believe that this continuous work at the top level and at the level of government agencies is bringing results because our trade is developing and we have every chance of reaching a turnover of $100 billion this year. We can see that our Chinese partners, our friends, are making intense efforts towards this goal and we are working just as hard on our part.
We have an extensive bilateral agenda. I am glad to see you here in Argentina.
President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping (retranslated): Mr President, my long-time friend,
Ministers, colleagues,
I am very glad to meet with you here in Buenos Aires, in Latin America.
This year has been special in the history of China-Russia relations because both countries successfully completed their main domestic political agendas thus opening a new historic chance for the development of our countries.
Relations between China and Russia correspond to the demands of our time, as well as the shared aspirations of our peoples. They have a huge potential and a broad appeal.
Next year, we are planning a great number of important events. Our country will mark the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China as well as 70 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Russia. We can take this opportunity to expand cooperation in various fields and achieve practical results.
I am grateful for your invitation. It will be my pleasure to visit Russia next year and attend the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. On the same note, I would like to invite you to attend the second Belt and Road summit in late April.
We will have extensive contacts next year. I am certain that in light of these close contacts, Russian-Chinese relations will be achieving new results and goals across all areas.
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