China, Russia have solid foundation for conjoining national development strategies

President Xi Jinping meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, May 8, 2015. New deals will see China become the largest consumer of Russian gas. [Photo/Agencies]

MOSCOW - Deep political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation and high-quality strategic programs have laid a solid foundation for conjoining China's and Russia's national development strategies, which are gaining strong momentum, Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui said.

Strategically, top leaders of both countries have signed a joint statement on integrating China's Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) construction, Li told Xinhua in an exclusive interview prior to two significant summits scheduled for next week in the Russian city of Ufa.

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the 7th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit and the 15th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The two sides have agreed to launch a dialogue mechanism to coordinate stands and policies on creating common economic space, Li said, adding that progress has been continuously made in areas of infrastructure, trade, investment and mutual understanding.

Moreover, China and Russia should make concerted efforts to step up financial cooperation via mechanisms such as the Silk Road Fund, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the SCO Interbank Consortium, and build a trade facilitation mechanism in fully-developed areas, so as to expedite the establishment of a China-EAEU free trade zone, he said.

Commenting on the current bilateral relations, Li said the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at an all-time high with frequent high-level mutual visits, pragmatic cooperation and flourishing cultural exchanges, which have set an example of harmonious coexistence and win-win cooperation for the world.