MOSCOW, January 1 (Itar-Tass) — Prime Minister Vladimir Putin congratulated foreign chiefs of state and prime ministers on the New Year, the governmental press service told Itar-Tass.
In his congratulatory message to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Putin called for further development of bilateral cooperation for the benefit of peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan in the interests of regional security and stability.
Addressing Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasi-Zade, Putin noted the successful work in every area of the strategic partnership of Russia and Azerbaijan and expressed the assuredness that new guidelines would be set in 2012 for further mounting of the bilateral cooperation.
Putin congratulated Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan on Christmas and New Year and said that the year 2012 would create additional opportunities for deepening the interstate dialog.
In his message to Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan, Putin lauded the substantial progress made in the fulfillment of large joint projects in energy, machine building, high technologies and transport infrastructure and the strengthening academic and cultural relations.
The congratulatory message to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko noted that the Common Economic Space, which started functioning on January 1, 2012, and the work on the formation of the Eurasian Economic Union would promote further strengthening of the Russian-Belarusian partnership and prosperity of the two fraternal peoples.
The message to Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich welcomed the successful development of Russian-Belarusian cooperation in all spheres.
The congratulatory message to Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said that the mounting efforts to create the Eurasian Economic Union would bring the integration to a new level and bolster Russian-Kazakh partnership in the economy, energy and high technologies, as well as contacts in research and education.
Addressing Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov, Putin said that the fulfillment of large projects in energy, machine building, space research and transport infrastructure continued last year and fruitful contacts in education, science and culture intensified.
In his message to Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, Putin expressed his assuredness that big plans of the mounting bilateral interaction in a number of areas and joint projects would be implemented in 2012.
The message to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon stressed that the Russian-Tajik partnership would actively develop in all spheres in the interests of the peoples of both states and regional stability and security in 2012.
Putin also congratulated Tajik Prime Minister Akil Akilov and welcomed the sustainable development of the friendly relations of Russia and Tajikistan.
Addressing Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Putin said that the fruitful cooperation of Russia and Turkmenistan based on the solid traditions of mutual request would further develop in 2012.
The message to Uzbek President Islam Karimov stated that the year 2011 was an important phase in the development of fruitful cooperation of Russia and Uzbekistan in the political, trade, economic and humanitarian spheres. Putin also called for ensuring the broadening of Russian-Uzbek constructive cooperation into new spheres in 2012.
He congratulated Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyeyev and expressed the assuredness that the multifaceted relations of Russian-Uzbek partnership and the bilateral alliance would remain an important factor of the stability and security in Central Asia.
The message to Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich said that Russia and Ukraine achieved by common efforts in 2011 a serious growth of the partnership potential in all spheres, a quality progress in the energy dialog and the strengthening of economic relations in the CIS.
The message to Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolai Azarov expressed the hope that joint efforts of Russia and Ukraine would ensure the full use of the vast potential of Russian-Ukrainian interaction in all spheres in 2012.
The message to Abkhaz President Alexander Ankvab welcomed the fact that Russia and Abkhazia achieved by common efforts in 2011 the strengthening of interaction between executive authorities and businessmen, broadened the legal framework of the bilateral cooperation and spurred on trade, economic and humanitarian relations.
In his New Year and Christmas greetings to British Prime Minister David Cameron, Putin expressed hope that in 2012 the Russian-British interaction would strengthen in all spheres, such as politics, economy, trade, investments, science, high technologies, education and culture.
In his message to German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin welcomed the launch of a series of joint projects, primarily the first line of the Nord Stream gas pipeline and expressed the assuredness that the year 2012 would create additional opportunities for the joint fruitful work. The cross-years of Russia and Germany are bound to play a large role in that.
Addressing Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, Putin affirmed serious results of the Russian-Italian partnership and singled out the Year of the Russian Language and Culture in Italy and the Year of the Italian Language and Culture in Russia.
The message to U.S. President Barack Obama said that Russia-U.S. relations continued their development in 2011 and joint efforts yielded important results in a number of areas, including the entry into force of the new START treaty and the completion of the negotiations on the Russian accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In the opinion of the Russian prime minister, the positive start will enable further mounting of the Russian-U.S. interaction in all spheres. “I am confident that we can achieve a lot if we base our dialog on equality and real respect for each other’s interests,” he said.
In his message to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Putin expressed his sincere gratitude for the invariable support of Sarkozy to the development of the bilateral relations and called for further intensification of the constructive interaction between Russia and France in the interests of peoples of the two countries, stability and security in Europe.
Addressing his French counterpart Francois Fillon, Putin expressed the hope that the year 2012 would witness further strengthening of the Russian-French strategic partnership and mounting of the fruitful cooperation in politics, economy, education, culture, science and other spheres.
Congratulating Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, Putin said that Russia intended to continue the strengthening of bilateral relations in all spheres.
The message to Chinese President Hu Jintao stressed that the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership was developing dynamically in all spheres and the year 2011 witnessed significant successes in the strengthening of political, trade, economic, social and humanitarian cooperation and the startup of large joint projects in energy, machine building, transport infrastructure and high technologies. Putin expressed the assuredness that the year 2012 would bring new interesting ideas and projects, including those in the upcoming Year of Russian Tourism in China.
In his message to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Putin said that the Russia-China interaction had reached an unprecedentedly high level. The events, which marked the fundamental treaty of neighborliness, friendship and cooperation, caused a broad response.
Congratulating Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Putin praised the dynamic development of the Russian-Indian relations, which had the nature of a privileged strategic partnership, and said that further mounting of cooperation and joint projects met the key interests of people in both countries.
Putin also sent New Year and Christmas greetings to chiefs of state and prime ministers and acclaimed political and public figures of some other foreign states, the governmental press service said.