Economics

17:43, 07.11.2007 | Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hopes for further close cooperation with China.

President Putin also wished Chinese Chairman Hu Jintao the success with in carrying out the existing tasks. In his meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao in the Kremlin on Monday, Putin said, “I congratulate you on the success of the Communist Party congress and I want to send my best regards to our friend, newly elected President Hu Jintao.”
Putin believes that the 17th congress of the Communist Party of China “determines big plans of China’s development. We hope that Russian-Chinese cooperation will be an efficient contribution to carrying out these plans”. In his view, “Both Russia and China attach important significance to bilateral cooperation.”
The Russian president cited the statistics’ data – in the nine months of this year trade turnover reached over 41 percent. Putin also riveted attention to humanitarian cooperation – Year of China in Russia. “Hu Jintao arrived in Russia to open Year of China in Russia and you visited Russia to close Year of China in Russia.”
Wen said he had arrived in Russia at the invitation of the Russian government in order to take part in the prime ministers’ meeting. He thanked the Russian leadership for its “very warm reception”.
He stressed, “The 17th congress of the Communist Party was the success.” He informed the Russian head of state about its main results. “We summed up the results of our reforms and decided that it was necessary to build socialism with China’s specifics. China will also pursue the peaceful foreign policy and priorities relations with Russia,” the Chinese prime minister said.
On Tuesday, Wen Jiabao will take part in a ceremony of closing Year of China in Russia and meet his Russian counterpart for talks on cooperation in different fields.
The two sides are expected to sign 10 inter-governmental, inter-departmental and commercial agreements in such areas as nuclear power engineering and finances, in implementing joint projects in science and technologies, small and medium-size business.
In an exclusive interview with Itar-Tass, Wen said, “My meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov will focus on sincere and substantial exchange of views on bilateral issues, international and regional problems.”
“After our talks we will determine priorities on all spectrum of issues in order to strengthen Russian-Chinese strategic interaction and multilateral mutually advantageous cooperation,” the Chinese prime minister stressed.
China “praises interaction with Russia within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO),” he said. The SCO “is an important platform for strengthening strategic interaction and stepping up cooperation between our countries in order to resolve regional and international problems.”
He expressed confidence that common efforts taken by all SCO countries, including Russia and China, would help the organisation play a worthy role in contributing to prosperity and development of the region.
A Russian government official told Itar-Tass that the work of the forum “is considered a roadmap of developing business and investment cooperation between Russia and China”. The heads of state set the task to bring investments to 12 billion U.S. dollars by 2010. According to the official, there are all possibilities for this because the sides continue their work on carrying out joint major projects.
Russia is ready to invite China to take part in tenders on the construction of the Olympic infrastructure in Sochi (China has good experience on preparing for the Olympic Games-2008 in Beijing). In addition, Russia will laud China’s investments in preparing the APEC forum in Vladivostok, the official said.
In total, “relations between Russia and China are developing very effectively – this year the ministers of the two countries, the heads of agencies are discussing concrete issues. The deputies prime ministers are preparing their meetings annually,” the official stressed. That is why annual talks between the prime ministers of the two countries “are very effective. Old problems have never raised. The sides are riveting their attention to strategic issues”, the official said.
“The major goal is to bring trade relations to 60-80 billion U.S. dollars by 2010. This goal may be achieved. There are real possibilities for this,” the official said. If in 2006 trade turnover reached about 29 billion U.S. dollars, in the first nine months of 2007 it amounted to 35 billion U.S. dollars, he noted. Thus, trade turnover may reach 40 billion U.S. dollars till the end of the year.
At the same time, the prime ministers of the two countries also discuss fish and seafood supplies that is a priority for Russia. According to the statistics, Russia exports much less than China imports. “China’s leadership should give a political signal. It should say it is ready to deal with this problem that is why we’ll raise this question,” the official emphasised.
Zubkov and Wen will sign several documents and agreements, including a programme of cooperation. The two sides will also sign a memorandum on mutual understanding in science and innovations and a protocol between Russia’s and China’s Central Banks.

Itar-TAAS