Russian president hails 'exemplary' relations with China
Interfax
Moscow, 17 June: President Dmitriy Medvedev believes that relations between Russia and China are a model of interaction between countries, while the two countries' experience of reaching consensus with each other deserves to be spread widely in the world.
"Having analysed how our relations have been developing since 1992, I have come to the conclusion that these relations can easily be called exemplary. This is important not just for our countries, but for the entire world," the head of state said in a speech at the Bolshoi Theatre before a gala concert devoted to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and the PRC.
"I believe that our experience of reaching agreement on the most complex issues deserves to be spread most widely and could be judged to be the common province of humankind," the Russian Federation president said.
According to him, this unique good neighbourliness between the two great powers is making an important contribution to the establishment of a new world order, the strengthening of multi-polarity in the world, respect for the choice of national development path, and compliance with international law.
Medvedev noted the great importance of Russia and China establishing diplomatic relations 60 years ago.
"Interaction between the world's two largest countries was and remains a factor on a genuinely geostrategic scale," he said.
Medvedev said that recent years have seen especially active development of political dialogue between Russia and China and interaction in international affairs, "and the result of such sustained and painstaking work is our strategic partnership".
"Relations between China and Russia are self-sustained and valuable in their own right (Russian: "samostoyatelny and samotsenny") and have a significant margin of strength, making it possible to resolve many, sometimes very complex, issues constructively. The final settlement of the border issue is a vivid example of that," the president said.
Medvedev also said that Russia-Chinese interstate relations had spread "from the traditional province of professional politicians and diplomats into the genuine grass roots"
The Russian Federation president said that interaction between Russia and China in international affairs was an important factor for maintaining peace and stability on the planet and an effective response to new challenges. "We have similar positions on many issues, including those relating to overcoming the current global crisis," Medvedev stressed.
He expressed confidence that the year (festival) of the Russian and Chinese languages in the two countries would be as successful as the year of Russia and China. The president said that the opening of the festival of Chinese culture on Wednesday (17 June) would launch a whole series of celebratory events planned for the diplomatic relations anniversary.
Taking part in the Bolshoi Theatre gala concert are ballet and opera performers from Russia and China.
"Russia is ready for the deepening of relations with China in every area. Everything is in place - political will, trusting relations between the leaders, a substantial treaty and legal base, mutual attraction of the peoples, attraction of the cultures and economies, a harmony of approaches on international problems, a spirit of good neighbourliness which goes hand in hand with pragmatism and a striving for each other's interests to be taken into account," Medvedev said.
For his part, PRC leader Hu Jintao supported the Russian Federation president's view of the essence and future of Russian-Chinese relations. "I fully agree with your opinion," he said.
In his words, in the 60 years since they established diplomatic relations, Russia and China "covered a path that was far from easy". He believes that qualitatively new relations between the two countries started taking shape in April 1996 when it was decided to establish relations of partnership and strategic interaction. "As a result, Chinese-Russian relations of partnership and strategic interaction have become more mature, stable and healthy," he said.
Hu Jintao said that Russia and China have been consistently increasing the scale of their trade and economic relations and that the past 10 years have been marked by consistent growth in bilateral trade and the development of investment and inter-regional cooperation.
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