MOSCOW, January 19. /TASS/. China and Russian reached big progress in the development of bilateral relations in 2015, China’s Ambassador to Russia Li Hui said on Tuesday.

"A strong impetus to strengthening friendship" between the two countries was given by the meetings of their leaders, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Xi Jinping of China, the ambassador said at a presentation of the Russian-Chinese project in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazism that was held at TASS.

"In 2015, our leaders took part in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazism. It is very important," he said, adding that the two leaders had also had contacts on the sidelines of big international forums, such as summit meetings of the BRICS (an association of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Russia’s Ufa. Contacts between Putin and Xi Jinping "outlined key directions for the development of relations," the Chinese diplomat noted.

He also drew attention to the decision taken by the two countries’ leaders to coordinate such large-scale projects as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Eurasian Economic Union. "It will give a powerful impetus to strengthening trade and economic cooperation between Russia and China," Li Hui said.

He also spoke about business cooperation between the two countries. "A big number of major strategic projects were outlined at a meeting between our heads of state," he said, citing as an example initiatives geared to encourage trade, mutual direct investments and cooperation in the construction of high-speed railways and in agriculture.

Apart from that, Russia and China "have done much" in the humanitarian sphere, he noted.

The photo album "Remember History. Safeguard Peace. In Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory over Nazism" was prepared jointly by the Russian News Agency TASS and China’s Renmin Huabao Publishers with support from the China Foreign Languages Publication and Distribution Administration. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping wrote a message for this publication. "It is our common history," the Chinese ambassador said.