ST.PETERSBURG, November 7. /TASS/. Russia and China are partners and friends and Moscow is prepared to discuss with Beijing any issues of interest, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said opening talks with China’s Premier of the State Council Li Keqiang in St. Petersburg on Monday.
"Russia and China are connected by the relations of strategic partnership and cooperation. We are indeed friends and we have a similar approach to solving many global issues, we take part in multilateral formats, including such major platforms as the United Nations, G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS," Medvedev said, adding that Russia and China will set up intergovernmental commission on cooperation between Russia’s Far East and China’s North East.
"It was decided to set up the fifth intergovernmental commission, which will deal with the cooperation on the Far East of our country and in the north east of China, which shows the real scope of interaction," he said.
Medvedev recalled that Russia and China take part in implementing a major project on connecting the Eurasian Economic Union and the Silk Road Economic Belt. "We will certainly discuss with you all issues that are topical today for the Russian-Chinese relations," the Russian prime minister said.
The prime minister said the regular meeting of the heads of Russian and Chinese government will discuss "a range of important issues, including economy, trade, investments and sectoral cooperation." "In general, everything what you consider to be right," he said, adding that the premiers had an opportunity to informally discuss "a number of current issues" on Sunday.
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Li Keqiang thanked Medvedev for an invitation to visit St. Petersburg and go to the Hermitage Museum. "Yesterday I had a chance to see a splendid exposition of European paintings and I was once again convinced that there is the need for interconnections and mutual interdependence between the civilizations," he said, adding that he feels like home in St. Petersburg.
Speaking about the Russian-Chinese relations, he said "the regular meetings of the heads of government have not been suspended over the past 21 years and were always held as scheduled." The Chinese premier said "this signals that the bilateral relations develop steadily and dynamically."
He agreed with Medvedev that Russia and China maintain close contacts "and as the permanent members of the UN Security Council jointly defend the priority of the UN Charter and keep stability in the region."