Russian Vice Premier and Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov met visiting Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Liang Guanglie in Moscow on Tuesday.

 

"Russia wishes to enhance exchange and cooperation between the two armies, which accords with the long-term interest of the two countries and beneficial to regional stability and world peace," Ivanov said at the meeting.

 

Liang believes that the China-Russia relations are better than ever. He said China also hopes to push the cooperation between the sides further.

 

They discussed further deepening of the political dialogue and cooperation between Russia and China both on a bilateral basis and within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on security in the Central Asian and Asia-Pacific regions.

 

The two officials also touched on questions of mounting an anti-terrorist exercise within the SCO in the Russian territory in 2007.

 

Earlier in the day, Liang held talks with his Russian counterpart Yuri Baluyevsky. The two military leaders examined prospects for military cooperation, including deliveries of Russian military materiel and weapons as well as training of military personnel for the Chinese armed forces at higher educational establishments of the Russian Defense Ministry.

 

Liang arrived in Moscow on Monday on a two-day visit to Russia at the invitation of Baluyevsky.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 24, 2006)