Li, who arrived in Moscow Sunday for a 10-day official visit, said his trip was aimed to fulfill the agreements reached by the premiers of the two countries during their regular meeting in Beijing earlier this year.

He said that during his visit, he would co-chair with Russian Deputy Premier Valentina Matviyenko the first session of the China-Russia Cooperation Committee on Education, Culture, Health and Sports and the sides will sign a series of documents as concrete steps to boost bilateral cooperation.

Conveying Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji's best regards to Kasyanov, Li said Sino-Russian ties had developed very well in these years and had been advanced to a highest level.

The close cooperation between Beijing and Moscow in the political, economic, scientific and technical aspects and on major international issues is of great significance and very effective, he said.

To promote the Chinese-Russian strategic partnership of cooperation, established by the state heads of the two countries, not only conforms to the fundamental interests of both countries' peoples, but also benefits regional peace and stability and the world at large, stressed the Chinese vice premier.

Warmly welcoming Li and his delegation, Kasyanov said that during his visit to Beijing in November, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and he had an in-depth exchange of views on further strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership of cooperation, oriented toward the new century.

"We should expand both bilateral political ties and cooperation in science, education, culture, health, sports and various other fields," Kasyanov emphasized.

He expressed the belief that the first session of the Russia-China Cooperation Committee on Education, Culture, Health and Sports, scheduled for Tuesday, would be successful and be very important for the two nations to push forward the strategic partnership of cooperation.

The two leaders also discussed the measures to enhance the cooperation in science, education, culture, health and sports.

Among those who attended Monday's meeting in the White House, the Russian government house building, were Vice Minister of China's State Development Planning Committee Liu Jiang, Chinese Ambassador Wu Tao and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Valentina Matviyenko.

(People’s Daily 12/05/2000)