President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin met in Moscow yesterday to discuss bilateral relations and international issues.

In their talks in the Kremlin, Putin thanked Hu for coming to take part in the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, saying that his government and people always remember that China and the Soviet Union made a great contribution to victory over fascism.

Putin also recognized that the Chinese people sustained heavy losses in their struggle against Japanese aggressors.

Hu congratulated Russia on its successful celebrations, adding that "the Russian people made a great contribution to the world in their struggle against fascism, the Chinese people and the whole world will never forget it."

This year, Hu said, China will mark the 60th anniversary of victory in its War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. He said China would not forget the Russian veterans who helped in the fighting.

 Hu said China is happy to see the steady and mature development of bilateral relations in all fields and that, in order to strengthen their partnership, the two sides should enhance strategic coordination so as to safeguard world peace and regional stability.

During the talks, Putin said Russia firmly supports China's unification efforts and Hu expressed appreciation for Russia's "one-China" policy.

Putin expressed satisfaction with the smooth development of relations, saying that he is looking forward to Hu's visit to Russia scheduled for late June this year.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2005)