Official website of the President of Russia

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The Russian President warmly congratulated the Prime Minister of New Zealand on his 50^th birthday.

During the conversation, the two leaders touched on various aspects of bilateral relations and expressed their satisfaction with the high level of cooperation and contacts at various levels reached in recent years.

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Dmitry Medvedev also sent a message to the Prime Minister of New Zealand congratulating him on his 50^th birthday.

The message reads, in part:

“You are widely known in Russia as a highly respectable politician who has made a substantial contribution to strengthening New Zealand’s role and influence in the region and globally. I am confident that your vast experience of government service and your active and creative energy will translate into new achievements for the benefit of your state.

I highly appreciate your commitment to developing Russian-New Zealand relations. Importantly, bilateral cooperation has gained new momentum and meaning in recent years.

I am convinced that the comprehensive policy of deepening the political dialogue between our states, boosting trade, economic and humanitarian relations, and expanding cooperation in the international arena is in the best interests of our nations and will help maintain peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

I have warm memories of our conversations on the sidelines of the APEC summit in November 2010 in Yokohama and look forward to continuing our fruitful contacts, including in Russia.”

In his message, Dmitry Medvedev also issued an invitation to John Key to visit the Russian Federation. The Russian President suggested that the dates of the visit should be agreed through diplomatic channels.