Putin happy with Russia, China in intense contact

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation finished summitry in the Uzbek capital today, upon which Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Hu Jingtao of China met on their own.

President Putin has an official visit to China appointed for October next, he announced during the bilateral conference. Sino-Russian contacts have an extremely close schedule for this year-symbolically, as it is a 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations established, he added.

The two presidents will also meet during an APEC forum in Santiago de Chile, said Mr. Putin, who is enthusiastic about the present state of Russian-Chinese relations. They could not have taken a better turn, what with sufficient mutual confidence in politics, military-technological partnership and, last but not least, economic ties-suffice it to mention the trade turnover for January-April, which increased by 37 per cent, as against last year's initial four months.

President Hu is sure Sino-Russian relations will spectacularly gain while the Russian leader is on his second presidential term.

He highlighted the many current international problems and changes. The involved situation demands an ever closer strategic partnership of his country with Russia. China is looking forward to President Putin's visit, and is sure it will be a success.

China has contacts with Russia among its top political priorities. The two countries are supporting each other on essential matters that concern either's sovereignty and territorial integrity, said Mr. Hu.

The bilateral trade turnover made four billion US dollars for the first quarter-year, and the partners have made twenty billion their target for the entire year, he pointed out.