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SCO PRIME MINISTERS: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (fifth right) poses with other heads of delegations to the seventh prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan on October 30
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao paid official visits to Russia and Kazakhstan from October 27 to 30. He also participated in the 13th regular meeting between Chinese and Russian prime ministers in Moscow and the seventh Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) prime ministers' meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan.
At an October 31 press conference in Beijing, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said that the official visits not only strengthened China's friendly and cooperative bilateral relations with Russia and Kazakhstan, but also advanced SCO cooperation in coping with the international financial crisis and displayed China's image as a responsible big country on the world stage.
Official visits
During his visit to Russia, Premier Wen exchanged views on international issues with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, discussing possible solutions to the current financial crisis. The two sides agreed that both sides should make deepening mutual political trust a priority, support each other on issues involving the other side's core interests, and maintain timely communication and close coordination on significant issues.
Premier Wen also signed a joint communiqué with Putin after their regular meeting, agreeing to strengthen bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, environmental protection, and science and technology.
The two sides made the most significant progress on energy cooperation, reaching a consensus on building an oil pipeline and a nuclear power plant. Experts pointed out that Wen's Russia visit improved conditions for energy cooperation between the two countries.
STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIP: Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao shakes hands with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during the 13th regular China-Russia prime ministers' meeting on October 28 in Moscow
"The agreement on oil pipeline construction is of remarkable importance," Pang Changwei, a researcher at the China Energy Strategic Research Institute, told Xinhua News Agency. Having been discussed for a long time, the agreement is finally being implemented. "An oil pipeline under ground will intensify energy cooperation between the two sides, which will set a firm basis for developing their cooperation in financial, economic, scientific and technological fields."
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