In Vladivostok, on the sidelines of the tenth Eastern Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin, met with the Chinese delegation and thanke

In Vladivostok, on the sidelines of the tenth Eastern Economic Forum, Vladimir Putin, met with the Chinese delegation and thanked Xi and China. Putin: “The visa free regime will lead to growth in business” Summary: In Vladivostok, on the sidelines of the tenth Eastern Economic Forum, the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, met with a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Li Hongzhong. Vladimir Putin greeted the Chinese delegation, noting that they arrived in Vladivostok almost simultaneously with him after his visit to China. He asked Li Hongzhong to convey words of gratitude to the leadership of the PRC and personally to Xi Jinping for the warm reception in Beijing and the organization of work within the framework of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. The Russian leader emphasized the scale and timeliness of the initiatives put forward by the Chairman of the PRC and particularly focused on one important decision made by the Chinese side in his absence during the negotiations — the introduction of a unilateral visa-free regime for Russian citizens. Putin called this step “a very kind gesture“ affecting hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Russians, and stressed that this decision is not ordinary, as it will directly contribute to the growth of tourist and business trips, the development of contacts between people, and the strengthening of business ties. The head of the Russian state stated that Moscow will definitely respond in kind to this friendly step by Beijing by establishing a similar visa-free regime for Chinese citizens and asked Li Hongzhong to personally convey words of appreciation to Xi Jinping. Putin also expressed confidence that the work of the Chinese delegation at the Eastern Economic Forum would be interesting and fruitful. In response, Li Hongzhong conveyed greetings and best wishes to Vladimir Putin on behalf of Xi Jinping. He noted that this year holds special significance for Sino-Russian relations, as both countries jointly marked important anniversary dates. In May, Xi Jinping visited Moscow, where he participated in celebrations for the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory in the Great Patriotic War and made a state visit to Russia. In September, Putin took part in the SCO summit in China, as well as in events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people in the war of resistance against Japanese invaders and the victory in World War II. Li Hongzhong emphasized that “May was a red month, and September a golden month“ for bilateral relations, when the leaders of the two countries participated in each other’s celebrations and outlined a “new grand plan for the development“ of Russian-Chinese cooperation. According to him, a number of new agreements were reached between the leaders, and China’s decision to introduce a visa-free regime became a vivid confirmation of the high level of trust and breadth of cooperation. He thanked Putin for his attention to the Chinese delegation and for organizing their stay in Vladivostok, noting that the warm reception and attention to detail, including security issues, reflect the special nature of Russian-Chinese relations. Recalling personal meetings, Li Hongzhong noted that back in 2018, when he worked in the city of Tianjin, Putin made the most positive impression on the Chinese people, which was remembered by many. — From TG: MaksLifeOff