Chinese Premier Wen meets Russian FM

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met here on Monday with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and expressed the hope that the two nations would enrich their bilateral strategic partnership.

Wen said China and Russia have reached new heights in political mutual trust, pragmatic cooperation and strategic cooperation.

Wen said he hoped that the two nations would step up the fulfillment of all consensuses and agreements and make new progress in such areas as economy, trade, energy, infrastructure construction and cultural exchanges.

Lavrov said Russia and China have witnessed the deepening of bilateral strategic cooperation, in which high-level visits play an important role.

Lavrov said he hoped that the two nations would work together to promote the bilateral energy negotiation mechanism and successfully host such cultural programs as the 2009 Russian language year in China and 2010 Chinese language year in Russia.

Russia would try to reach a consensus with China within this year on the "2009-2012 plan for implementing the Russia-China Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation" and strengthen cooperation with China in disaster relief, Lavrov said.

The Chinese side has submitted the new draft of the "2009-2012 plan" and will press forward consultations with Russia to reach a consensus on the plan as soon as possible, President Hu Jintao said when meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier this month on the sidelines of the Outreach Session of the Group of Eight summit.