On October 27, 2008, at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Moscow for an official visit to the country. During the meeting, both sides will also hold the 13th regular meeting between the prime ministers of the two countries.

At 17:20, local time, Wen Jiabao’s special plane arrived at Sheremetyevo Airport 1, where he was warmly welcomed by Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksey Borodavkin and other Russian officials. The Chinese premier also attended a welcoming ceremony.

In a written statement delivered upon arrival at the airport, Wen said China and Russia are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers and they are also strategic cooperative partners sharing weal and woe. He hailed the level of China-Russia strategic and cooperative partnership in recent years as unprecedented. The two nations have enjoyed expanding basis for common interests, increasing mutual trust, more fruitful cooperation and closer strategic cooperation in international and regional affairs, he said. This year, China-Russia strategic and cooperative partnership has undergone steady transition and entered a new stage of development.

The continuous development of bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership conforms to the fundamental interests of the two peoples, and is conducive to peace and stability in the region and the world at large, said the Chinese premier.

The Chinese premier said he will also exchange views with Medvedev and parliament leaders on bilateral ties as well as on international and regional issues of common concern. Wen and Putin will also attend the opening ceremony of the third China-Russia Business Summit Forum. Both sides are expected to sign a range of bilateral cooperation documents. Wen said he believed this visit will help promote bilateral political mutual trust, deepen their substantial and strategic cooperation, enhance the mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples, and inject new vigor into the sustained, sound and steady growth of bilateral strategic and cooperative partnership.

Wen’s entourage including Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, State Councilor Liu Yandong and other officials who had arrived earlier also greeted Wen at the airport. Chinese Ambassador to Russia Liu Guchang and representatives from the staff of the embassy, local Chinese-funded institutions, overseas Chinese and Chinese students welcomed Wen at the airport.