Russian Security Council Secretary meets Chinese leader Jiang Zemin

Secretary of the Russian Security Council Vladimir Rushailo has met Chinese Chairman Jiang Zemin. Vladimir Rushailo subsequently told Russian journalists that at the meeting, the two officials touched on issues related to strategic cooperation between Russia and China.

According to him, they also discussed regional and strategic stability. The two high-ranking officials paid particular attention to the interaction within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Rushailo said that during the negotiations, the sides agreed that "these are not only China and Russia that play an energetic role in the organisation, but also all other regional states that are interested in peace and stability not only in Central Asia, but in the whole world as well." The issues of regional conflicts, including the Middle East, Central Asia and that on the Indo-Pakistani border, occupied a special place on the agenda. "It's hard to clearly determine where a regional conflict interchanges into a full-scale war. Russia and China cannot but be concerned over these problems for the aforementioned conflict zones are located in close vicinity to our counties' borders," Rushailo stated.

He also emphasised that the Russian delegation visited China one year after the Treaty on Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and China was signed. According to Rushailo, at the talks, the sides highly appreciated the quality of cooperation within the framework of this Treaty.