Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Russia

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Russia on Wednesday for a state visit.

Xi is expected to join Russian President Vladimir Putin in reviewing the achievements and experience in the development of the bilateral relationship over the past seven decades and charting the course for its future development, Xinhua news agency reported.

The two leaders are also expected to sign or witness the signing of important cooperation documents and attend a gathering celebrating the 70 anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

"We have the confidence and capability to bring our relations to a new era of greater development at a higher level, based on our experience and achievements of the past 70 years," Xi said in an interview to Russia's TASS news agency and Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper on the eve of the visit.

During his stay in Russia, Xi will also attend the 23rd St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

He will address a plenary session to expound China's ideas on sustainable development and call for concerted efforts to safeguard multilateralism and improve global governance for the common development and prosperity of the world.

Xi's visit to Russia, the eighth since 2013 when he was elected Chinese President, comes as the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is at its best in history, according to Xinhua news agency.

Xi and Putin, maintaining close friendship, have met nearly 30 times on bilateral and multilateral occasions since 2013.

--IANS

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