Putin Says Enjoys 'Warmest Relationship' With China's Xi

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th March, 2023) Russian President Vladimir Putin said ahead of the visit of Chinese leader Xi Jinping to Russia that relations between Moscow and Beijing are at the highest level, marked by an "unprecedented level of trust."

Xi will pay a state visit to Moscow from March 20-22 at Putin's invitation. Ahead of the visit, Putin wrote an article for the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper People's Daily.

"We have high expectations for the upcoming talks. We have no doubt that they will give a new powerful impetus to our bilateral cooperation in its entirety. This is also a great opportunity for me to meet with my good old friend with whom we enjoy the warmest relationship," Putin wrote.

The Russian president said that since Xi Jinping's first state visit to Russia after his election as President of the People's Republic of China, there has been an accelerated and sustainable development of relations between the two countries.

"... the main thing has remained unchanged: I am talking of the firm friendship between Russia and China, which is consistently growing stronger for the benefit and in the interest of our countries and peoples. The progress made in the development of bilateral ties is impressive. The Russia-China relations have reached the highest level in their history and are gaining even more strength; they surpass Cold War-time military-political alliances in their quality, with no one to constantly order and no one to constantly obey, without limitations or taboos. We have reached an unprecedented level of trust in our political dialogue, our strategic cooperation has become truly comprehensive in nature and is standing on the brink of a new era. President Xi Jinping and I have met about 40 times and have always found time and opportunity to talk in a variety of official formats as well as at no�tie events," Putin wrote.