At the invitation of the Government of the Russian Federation, Vice Premier Li Keqiang will pay an official visit to Russia from April 26 to 30. Vice Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping received an interview of the central media on the visit.

Cheng said that Li will meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, President-elect and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chairman of Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the Russian State Duma Sergey Naryshkin to exchange in-depth views on China-Russia relations and other major issues of common concern. Li will also contact the Russian people from different sectors of the society, deliver a speech to the Moscow State University, attend the opening ceremony of China-Russia Trade and Investment Promotion Conference and meet with the friendly personnel, business leaders and representatives of veterans of the World War II. He will also visit Kazan and attend discussions with the local leaders of the Volga Federal District.

He noted that China is Russia's primary and most important strategic partner and vice versa. Both countries view each other's development as a major opportunity and take the development of bilateral relations one of the diplomatic priorities. Having gained unprecedented progress in recent years, the bilateral relations are healthy, mature, stable, strategic and sustainable. The two sides enjoy rising political mutual trust. We have completely solved the border issue left over from history and signed the treaty of good-neighborly friendship and cooperation. China and Russia firmly support each other on issues involving each other's sovereignty, security, development and other core interests. Through pragmatic cooperation, the two countries managed to overcome the impact of the international financial crisis. Last year, the bilateral trade volume approached US$80 billion, growing by 42.7% over the previous year. A large number of cooperation projects move forward steadily in the fields of business, energy and high technology and at local levels. The two countries have become each other's top business partner. Following the success of the activities of the Year of China in Russia, Year of Russia in China and the Language Year, the Year of Tourism activities between China and Russia have kicked off and people-to-people exchanges are growing vigorously. The two sides hold the same or similar positions on a series of major international and regional issues and maintain effective and close collaboration in international affairs. We have become the major driving force for world multi-polarization and safeguarding regional and world peace and stability.

China and Russia are working to develop the all-round strategic partnership featured by equality and trust, mutual support, common prosperity and friendship from generation to generation and actively implementing the development plan of bilateral relations within the next 10 years made by the two heads of state in June last year. When President Hu called Russian President-elect Putin not long ago, the two sides decided to maintain the continuity of China-Russia relations and make efforts to raise the bilateral ties to higher levels. This important consensus makes clear the direction for the long-term development of bilateral relations.

Li's visit to Russia is one of the key high-level exchanges between the two countries this year and will be the first visit of a top Chinese leader after Russia's presidential election. It is of great significance to comprehensively deepening China-Russia relations under new circumstances. The visit mainly aims at strengthening understanding, enhancing mutual trust, expanding consensus and advancing cooperation. China expects to achieve the following results through the visit. First, review the major achievements of China-Russia relations and further promote the implementation of the development plan of bilateral relations within the next 10 years. Second, enhance bilateral strategic and political mutual trust, strengthen mutual political support on issues involving each other's core interests and firmly support each other to follow the development path suitable to its own national conditions. Third, push foward practical cooperation in various fields, step up mutually beneficial cooperation on investment, deep processing, joint production, high-tech and innovation in response to each other's development requirements while continuing to expand the bilateral trade, push key strategic cooperation projects to achieve new progress, enhance pragmatic cooperation in an all-round manner and improve the quantity and quality of cooperation simultaneously. Furth, exchange in-depth views on the preparations for the Beijing Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and major regional and international issues of common concern, coordinate position and further strengthen strategic cooperation in the international community. During the visit, related departments and enterprises will sign agreements on cooperation in the fields of business, energy, science and technology, finance and communications and at local levels.

Cheng believes that with the concerted efforts of China and Russia Li's visit will achieve full success and boost the development of the bilateral all-round strategic partnership.