Chinese, Russian premiers exchange New Year greetings

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang exchanged New Year greetings with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday, with both sides pledging to enhance bilateral cooperation in 2016.

In a message to Medvedev, Li recalled the recent China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting in Beijing, where the two sides reached broad consensus on bilateral ties and various issues of common concern, pushing for new progress in bilateral communication and cooperation in all areas.

With the advent of the new year, the constantly strengthened China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination is showing a good momentum of vigorous development, he said.

Li said that both China and Russia are in a critical stage of development and revitalization within the context of a weak global economic recovery.

The two countries enjoy great potential and broad prospects for expanding and deepening their cooperation to realize common development, he added.

He pledged joint efforts with Medvedev to keep close communication so as to promote development of the bilateral ties, all-round cooperation and the two peoples' well-being.

For his part, Medvedev said China and Russia, with their traditional partnership of cooperation at an unprecedented level, have set a new direction for their cooperation after the successful 20th China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting in Beijing.

He also expressed the hope for maintaining constructive interaction with Li to benefit the two peoples in the year of 2016. Endi