IANS | 15 May, 2024
On the eve of his two-day state visit to China, which starts on
Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a written interview
with Xinhua that Russia and China are promoting the prosperity of both
nations through expanded equal and mutually beneficial cooperation in
economic and cultural fields.
In the interview, Putin emphasised that the coordination of
foreign policies between the two countries is propelling the
establishment of a fair multipolar world order, which underpins the
future success of the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership
of coordination for the new era.
Putin highlighted that
contemporary Russia-China relations transcend ideology and are a
strategic choice made independently by the two countries regardless of
the political situation. This choice is grounded in the extensive common
interests, deep mutual trust, strong public support, and genuine
friendship between the people of the two countries. Both nations are
jointly committed to safeguarding sovereignty, territorial integrity,
and security.
"In a broader sense, we are working to contribute to
the development and prosperity of Russia and China by enhancing equal,
mutually beneficial economic and humanitarian cooperation and
strengthening foreign policy coordination in the interests of building a
just multipolar world order. All this is the key to the future success
of our comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new
era," said Putin.
He noted that the partnership between Russia and
China is always based on equality and mutual trust, mutual respect for
sovereignty, and consideration of each other's interests.
President
Xi Jinping, a wise and visionary leader, plays a special and prominent
role in the development of bilateral relations, he added.
"We
first met back in March 2010, and we have been seeing and calling each
other regularly ever since. President Xi maintains a respectful,
friendly, open and at the same time business-like style of
communication," Putin said, adding that each meeting was not only a
dialogue between old friends but also a fruitful exchange of views on
bilateral and international agendas.
Putin recalled that in 2013,
President Xi chose Russia as the first destination of his state visit as
China's head of state. After being re-elected as Chinese President in
March last year, his first state visit was again to Russia. They spent
nearly five hours together, holding one-on-one in-depth talks, followed
by a day of substantive official events.
"This unprecedented level
of strategic partnership between our countries determined my choice of
China as the first state to be visited after the official inauguration
as the president of the Russian Federation," Putin emphasised.
He
pointed out that the deep and long-standing friendship and cooperation
between the peoples of Russia and China has established one of the most
important pillars of bilateral relations.
Today, relations between
Russia and China have reached their highest level in history, and
despite a challenging international situation, the relationship
continues to develop, he added.
Putin underscored that this year
is special for both countries, noting that October marks the 75th
anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which is
celebrating this significant historical moment with outstanding
achievements.
As a long-standing and reliable friend, Russia
welcomes China's accomplishments, he said, adding that for
three-quarters of a century, the two countries have navigated a long and
sometimes difficult path, drawing lessons from different stages of
their relations.
Today, they recognise that complementary
advantages are injecting strong momentum into the comprehensive and
rapid development of bilateral ties, he said.