OREANDA-NEWS. October 12, 2011. Wu Bangguo (via interpreter): You are welcome to China. I am very pleased to meet you again, this time in Beijing. I remember that we had a very good meeting last month in Moscow. I still remember it well. I know your country is now going through an intensive period of activity.

Today, very significant events are happening in Russia. In December, you will have elections to the State Duma. You are also the leader of the United Russia party. That being so, you still have found time to take part in this meeting between the Chinese and Russian heads of government. That is evidence of the high attention that you give to the development of Chinese-Russian relations.

I know that you and Premier Wen Jiabao had very good talks yesterday. These talks were detailed and concerned every aspect and area of our cooperation. My comrades told me that you discussed a total of 10 questions between you.

I do believe your current visit will give a powerful push to the further development of our relations. Your visit, although brief, is still an important and significant one. Following our meeting, you will also meet with Hu Jintao, and that will be an important exchange of views between two leaders.

I would like to congratulate you in advance on the tremendous success of your visit to China. Once more, I greet you most warmly.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I am really very pleased to see you again after we saw each other recently in Moscow. Such an intensive dialogue at the highest level is an indication that Russia and China attach great importance to Russian-Chinese relations.

You are very well informed of what is taking place in Russia, and not only because you have been there recently, but because you have good and close contacts with your colleagues in the Russian parliament. It is true that an extended, lengthy and intensive political process has got under way in our country. The development of Russian-Chinese relations both in foreign policy and economics has an undoubted effect on the welfare of our people. That is why we attach such great significance to their promotion. In this context, contacts are important not only between heads of state and government, but also between the parliaments of our countries. I want to thank you and all of your colleagues in the National People’s Congress for the attention that you pay to the development of Chinese-Russian relations.

Wu Bangguo: Thank you for your wonderful, kind words.