Ratification Of Russian-Chinese Agreement On Friendship

On Wednesday the State Duma (the lower house of parliament) is expected to ratify the Russian-Chinese agreement on friendship, cooperation and good-neighbourliness. The agreement was signed in summer 2001 during Chinese President Jiang Zemin's official visit to Moscow. This agreement is the basic legal document in Russian-Chinese relations. It determines the development of relations between the two countries for 20 years. The Chinese side has already ratified this treaty; meanwhile the ball is in the Russian parliament's court. During his visit to China in early December State Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyov assured the Chinese side that "all members of the Russian parliament will support this agreement." No doubt that this agreement will be ratified, Seleznyov said.