Top Chinese Legislator Meets Russian PM

Top Chinese Legislator Meets Russian PM

Li Peng, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), met with visiting Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov Friday afternoon and held talks with him.

After the past twists and turns, Li noted, Sino-Russian relations have seen positive development momentum this year and, especially, more consensus have been reached between the two sides on the previous basis. "This is really a hard-won result," he said.

Both China and Russia advocate to build up a multi-polar world, and the two countries should make joint efforts to strengthen their strategic partnership of cooperation, he said.

Briefing the Russian guests on China's Tenth Five-Year Plan for 2001-2005,, Li stressed that China and Russia should catch up with rapid scientific and technological development and make concrete efforts to intensify bilateral economic, scientific and technological exchanges so as to lay a solid foundation for furthering bilateral ties.

Li also asked Kasyanov to convey his regards to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chairman of the Federation Council Yegor Semeonovich Stroyev and Chairman of the State Duma Gennady Seleznev.

Kasyanov, in return, extended regards from Russian leaders to Li. He said it is the common aspiration of the two peoples to promote Russia-China friendship.

The friendly exchanges between the Federal Assembly of Russia and China's NPC have contributed to the development of all-round friendly cooperation between Russia and China, Kasyanov noted.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the two sides, Russia and China have scored new progress in bilateral trade and economic cooperation in recent years, which has added substantial contents to the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation, Kasyanov said, adding that the Russian government attaches great importance to the all-round friendly cooperation with China.