Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to China will add new impetus to further development of bilateral relations, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told a news conference on Thursday.

Yakovenko said Russia attaches great importance to developing relationship with China, adding that President Putin's upcoming visit to China would be of great significance.

During his visit in China, Putin will exchange views with Chinese leaders on issues of common concern in a broad and deep way. Cooperation in economy, trade and energy resources and that within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would be the top priority of the talks, said the spokesman.

Russia hopes fruitful results will be achieved and agreement be signed to further promote bilateral relations, he added.

The mechanism of regular exchanges among leaders of the two countries has been productive, and the leaders have signed new agreements on issues of common concern during each of their meetings, which have pushed the bilateral relations to a higher level, Yakovenko added.

The official said Russia and China have adopted the same or a similar stand on most international affairs. The two countries have cooperated well in international arenas and mediating regional conflicts. They have been good partners in the six-party talks on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, he stressed.

The two countries have also conducted sound dialogues on a series of important issues regarding international politics and maintaining global strategic stability, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2004)