ASTANA, July 3. /TASS/. Wednesday’s meeting between the Chinese and Russian leaders on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Kazakh capital of Astana indicates the high level of bilateral relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.
"Mr. President Putin, my dear friend, I am very happy to hold another meeting with you," Xi said, addressing the Russian leader. "Holding a meeting on the sidelines of a multilateral event is not just a good tradition of ours but also an indication of the high level of Chinese-Russian relations," he added.
According to the Chinese president, the Astana summit is the most important event of the year for the SCO. Xi expressed willingness to hold comprehensive talks with Putin and other leaders of SCO member states on ways to strengthen the organization and boost cooperation in various fields.