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"No Political Problems" Between Russia, China - Putin Aide

Posted on: Friday, 18 November 2005, 12:00 CST

Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Pusan, 18 November: Russian President Vladimir Putin and PRC President Hu Jintao did not raise the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] nuclear issue at their talks today. The leaders talked about energy and - briefly - military-technology cooperation between Russia and China, Russian presidential aide Sergey Prikhodko has told reporters.

"The subject of the DPRK was not raised," Prikhodko said. The expansion of trade and economic cooperation, including in the fuel and energy sector, was primarily discussed, he explained. "The issue of long-term energy supplies to China was discussed," the Russian presidential aide added. China, he said, "is satisfied with the progress of its negotiations with Russia and has no concerns as to the Daqing pipeline project".

"As for military-technology cooperation, the two leaders talked about it in brief," Prikhodko added.

He went on to say that Putin and Hu also spoke "of the need to improve the structure of trade". "The share of engineering products", Prikhodko explained, "remains small. Thus, it was decided to support the marketing of precisely those, engineering products."

Among the subjects discussed by the Russian and Chinese leaders, the Russian presidential aide also named cooperation between border regions and the further development of relations between both countries' regions. "The implementation of the border treaty was discussed. There is satisfaction with how it is working," Prikhodko said.

Putin and Hu, Prikhodko added, also discussed collaboration between the two countries in the SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization], as well as humanitarian and cultural ties. There was, however, no discussion on the holding of joint military exercises.

The talks were of an "extremely frank and interested" nature, Prikhodko summed up. "We have no political problems, which is why we look to the future with confidence," he said.

[It is expected that Putin will pay two visits to China in 2006, Prikhodko said (Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1019 gmt 18 Nov 05). Putin's official visit, according to Prikhodko, will be timed to coincide with the launch of the humanitarian Year of Russia in China and is scheduled for March. Putin's second visit will be for an SCO summit in June.]

Source: BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

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