Medvedev, Hu to discuss bilateral cooperation

MOSCOW (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will
meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Moscow on Thursday, June 16, to
discuss a wide range of issues concerning bilateral practical interaction,
with a focus on the development of trade and economic ties.
Hu arrived in Moscow from Astana, Kazakhstan, where he and Medvedev
attended a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. After talks at
the Kremlin, the tow leaders will travel to St. Petersburg for the
International Economic Forum to be held there.
Medvedev and Hu have met twice this year and will have an opportunity
to meet again at the upcoming APEC and G20 summits this autumn.
"Hu Jintao's visit to Russia is a milestone event as it is taking
place in a jubilee year for our relations -- ten years ago the two
countries signed the fundamental Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness,
Friendship and Cooperation. This document recorded a formula that is truly
unique for modern interstate relations -- equal trusting partnership and
strategic interaction," presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko said.
The two leaders will also make a joint statement concerning the
jubilee and visit a concert marking the 10th anniversary of the treaty.
Prikhodko noted the dynamic development of cooperation between Russia
and China. "For the first time China has become a leading foreign economic
partner of Russia. We can say that mutual trade has not only overcome the
consequences of the global financial and economic crisis but has beaten
the record 2008 level [56 billion U.S. dollars]. This will allow us to set
ambitious tasks to further intensification of bilateral trade," he said.