Chinese FM meets with governor of Russia's Irkutsk region

IRKUTSK, Russia, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met here with Igor Kobzev, governor of Russia's Irkutsk region.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed congratulations on Russia Day and wished for the successful realization of the development and revitalization goals of both Russia and the Irkutsk region.

Wang noted that Irkutsk has a long history of exchanges with China. The regional capital, the city of Irkutsk, was once an important hub on the ancient tea road, and Lake Baikal is well-known among the Chinese people.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin successfully conducted a state visit to China, during which President Xi Jinping and President Putin had in-depth strategic communication, setting the course for the development of China-Russia relations, Wang said.

China is actively advancing Chinese modernization, while Russia is accelerating the development of its Far East region, presenting a historic opportunity for cooperation between the two countries, he added.

Local cooperation is a vital part of China-Russia relations, Wang noted, adding that the Irkutsk region, with its abundant natural resources and strong industrial base, has unique advantages for developing cooperation with China.

China supports closer mutually-beneficial cooperation at sub-national level between the two countries, including that with Irkutsk, to benefit the people of both sides, he said.

Kobzev expressed his great honor to welcome Wang on Russia Day and noted that China is Irkutsk's largest trading partner, accounting for 70 percent of the foreign trade and maintaining a strong growth momentum.

The region highly values cooperation with China and hopes to expand further exchanges and cooperation in such fields as agriculture, energy resources, culture, education and tourism, and to attract more Chinese investment, Kobzev said, adding that the region is willing to provide a better business environment for Chinese enterprises.