VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen. I am happy to welcome you here. I have met many of you before. Welcome.
Russia has a special relationship with China, and not only because it is a close neighbour. We share many tasks and have common problems and common views on many processes under way in the international community. China is Russia’s strategic partner in the true and direct sense of this word. We are currently developing ties in many areas. Despite the crisis, we are rapidly restoring the potential of our mutual trade and can report substantial growth. At the current rate, our mutual trade could reach $70 billion this year. By 2015 it could grow to $100 billion and by 2020, to $200 billion.
I would like to thank our friends in the National People's Congress of China because inter-parliamentary cooperation is a major component of our relationship. It is with your assistance that we hold events that strengthen trust between our people. We have held a Year of the Russian Language in China and the Year of the Chinese Language in Russia, as well as events aimed at promoting tourism, which could be described as a citizen exchange. We are very glad to see you here. Welcome.
Wu Bangguo (via interpreter): Thank you very much for your heartfelt words. I am grateful for this opportunity to meet with you once again. I’d like to say that each our meetings have left a deep impression on me. I also want to convey to you the best regards of Chairman Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Please convey my regards to them as well.
Wu Bangguo: They are waiting impatiently for your visit to China next month.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, I am looking forward to my visit in October.
Wu Bangguo: You will chair the 16th meeting between the heads of government of China and Russia. You are very well known in China as a politician and a big friend of our people. Russia has progressed considerably in its development over the past ten years when you were Russia’s president and prime minister, which has won you the love of the Russian people and respect among the Chinese people.
The Russian economy has become one of the world’s top ten economies. However, I have noticed that Russia’s aggregate indicator of influence is higher even than its GDP. Russia maintains firm political and social stability, furthering its economic development and raising the living standards of the population every year. Its role in international politics has grown. We are sincerely happy to note these achievements in Russia under your guidance.
As we have noticed, you have formulated new objectives for Russia, in particular to become one of the world’s top five economies by 2020 with a per capita GDP of $35,000. You said that by that time Russia should firmly stand on two pillars: the traditional pillar of the energy and defence industries, and the pillar of innovation. I am confident that Russia will achieve these impressive results under your guidance.
I would like to assure you that China sincerely hopes that Russia will succeed because this meets our interests and the goals of creating a multipolar world and strengthens the democracy in international relations. I fully agree with your assessment of the Chinese-Russian relationship. This year we will celebrate ten years since the signing of an important document, the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation. It would be safe to say that we have achieved very good results in our development over the past ten years.
