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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Zhang Gaoli, friends,

Please accept my heartfelt greetings.

This is not our first meeting. We have very good relations. These relations rest above all, of course, on the level of relations between our two countries and on the mutual interests and projects that you are working on together with your Russian colleagues.

The business ties and implementation of projects that you are involved in are greatly aided, of course, by the positive attitude in this respect taken by President of China Xi Jinping, with whom we have very good, friendly relations. I would like to ask you to pass on my warm and sincere greetings.

I plan to take part, at the Chinese President’s invitation, in the One Belt – One Road international forum and to make a working visit to Beijing for this occasion. I know that you are working actively to prepare this event.

 Welcome!

First Vice Premier of the State Council of China Zhang Gaoli (retranslated): Your Excellency, Mr President,

I am very grateful to you for finding the time to meet with me and my delegation despite your busy schedule.

You noted rightly that this is not our first meeting. Each meeting leaves me with deep and unforgettable impressions. I treasure greatly the gift with the Power of Siberia logo and the jacket that you gave me in Yakutsk.

Mr President, you are a long-time great friend of China. Allow me to convey President Xi Jinping’s warmest greetings and best wishes. I will personally pass on your warm greetings to President Xi.

You have met with President Xi more than 20 times now, and this deep personal friendship and common agreements and decisions between the two leaders serve as a strategic guideline for developing Russian-Chinese relations.

We know that a serious terrorist attack, an explosion, took place in the St Petersburg metro on April 3, resulting in many victims. China has already firmly condemned this terrorist attack. Let me take this opportunity to once again express our condolences to the injured and to the families and loved ones of all of those killed. China will continue to fight international terrorism with Russia and other members of the international community in order to preserve peace and stability around the world.

Your personal efforts, Mr President, and those of President Xi set the strategic direction and constantly advance the friendship and cooperation between our countries, setting new tasks and directions and producing new results.

President Xi and the Chinese Government place great importance on your upcoming participation in the One Belt – One Road international cooperation forum in Beijing in May. President Xi will visit Russia in July.

The main aim of my visit to Russia is to prepare the upcoming bilateral summits. During this visit, I have already held the fourth meeting of the Investment Cooperation Commission.

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