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HU jINTAO: Dear Mr President,

In connection with the celebrations of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of good-neighbourly relations between our two countries, your visit will undoubtedly make good-neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation between Russia and China even closer, and bring our relations to an even higher level of strategic partnership.

We have just held a deep and extensive exchange of opinion on important issues, and now I am ready to hear your opinion on issues of our cooperation.

President Vladimir Putin: Mr Chairman,

Allow me first of all to thank you for the invitation to come to China on a state visit. The People’s Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949, and as soon as 2 October, diplomatic relations were established between the USSR and China. Today we are continuing the best traditions of Russian-Chinese relations, and we have bought our partnership to a strategic level, which is very important for us. We are sure that during work today we will make another step forward. We are closely watching the speed of development of the People’s Republic of China. We congratulate you on this speed and are proud of these results together with you.

I am certain that Russian-Chinese cooperation is an important factor in the development of our nations. I want to confirm the initiation to the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, Hu Jintao, to take part in the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War in May 2005, and also to invite you to make an official visit to Russia in 2005.