On September 25th, 2004, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, who accompanied Premier Wen Jiabao for an official visit to Russia, received an interview before concluding the visit and leaving for China.

Minister Li Zhaoxing said that from September 21 to 25, Premier Wen Jiabao visited Kyrghyz Republic, attended the Third Prime Minister's Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and then visited Russia and attended the Ninth Regular Meeting between the Premier of China and Prime Minister of Russia. Premier Wen Jiabao met and talked with leaders of the six countries and had extensive contacts with people from political, industry and commerce, science and technology, culture and education fields of the Kyrghyz and Russia, as well as young people and friends from the media. During his visit, a total of 13 bilateral documents and 8 multi-lateral documents have been signed, covering politics, security, trade and economic cooperation, science and technology, culture and other areas.

When briefing the journalist about the visit, Minister Li Zhaoxing said that Russia was China's largest neighbouring country. As strategic partners, the two countries share extensive common interests and important consensus on world multi-polarization. He said that both countries had important responsibility to maintain world peace and promote common development. Economies of the two countries are different yet complementary, so strengthening economic and trade cooperation is of strategic importance to the sustainable and steady development of the two countries, is the common aspiration of the two peoples and is also conducive to the noble cause of world peace and development.

Minister Li Zhaoxing said that the two leaders concluded the cooperation between the two countries in the past year, explored measures to implement the important consensus of President Hu Jintao and President Putin and clarified the target and task of cooperation in the next stage. Both sides agreed to work together to expand and deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries, to increase political mutual trust, to maintain the quick development of bilateral trade, to expand mutual investment, facilitate energy and S&T cooperation, to promote border and regional exchange and to strengthen culture exchanges. Both sides agreed to continue their strategic cooperation in international affairs and to promote multilateralism and the democratization of international relations. Both sides agreed to strength security consultation and anti-terrorist cooperation and to give mutual support on issues that bear on sovereignty and territory integrity. Both sides agreed that energy cooperation is the most potential one in the cooperation between the two countries. President Putin indicated that Russia would unswervingly carry out its energy cooperation with China. Both sides also recognized the full market economy status of each other.

Minister Li Zhaoxing said that Premier Wen Jiabao attached great importance to Sino-Russia S&T cooperation and to the exchanges between young people. Premier Wen thinks that science and technology and young people are the future of a country. The cooperation in S&T between the two countries is dynamic at the moment. Young people are the hope of friendship between the two countries in generations to come. So in spite of his tight schedule, Premier Wen Jiabao had talks with people from the S&T circles and the young people of both countries. He listened to the suggestions of scientists on the cooperation between the two countries and encourages the young people of both countries to cultivate the friendship between China and Russia.

Minister Li Zhaoxing pointed out that Premier Wen Jiabao attached great importance to his formal visit to the Kyrghyz Republic. This visit is of strategic significance to strengthen the security cooperation between the two countries and to create a safe surrounding environment to China. The economies of China and Kyrghyz differ from each other, however, they are highly complementary. Kyrghyz regards China as a sincere partner and thinks that establishing and developing a good-neighbourly friendship and partnership with China is its most important achievements ever since independence.

Minister Li Zhaoxing said that during the visit, Premier Wen Jiabao and leading officials of Kyrghyz Republic signed the Ten-year Plan on China-Kyrghyz Cooperation, which map out the plan of cooperation between the two countries in the field if politics, security, trade and economic cooperation, transportation, energy and culture. It also defines the key directions and projects of cooperation so that the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries can be carried out in a regulated and orderly manner. The two countries also signed agreement on border demarcation, which marked the fundamental settlement of the boundary issue left over from history. Now, the boundary between the two countries serves as tie of friendship. Both sides agreed to promote large-scale cooperation projects, to expand fields of cooperation, to increase the high-tech elements of cooperation and to optimize trade structure. Both sides stressed on strengthening cooperation and strike the "Three Terrorist Forces", including the "East Turkistan Liberation Movement" in order to ensure the safety of the peoples of both countries.

Minister Li Zhaoxing said that during the meeting with leaders of Kyrghyz, Premier Wen Jiabao stressed that China would adhere to its neighbouring diplomacy of "build good-neighbourly relationships and partnerships" and would work together with its neighbouring countries to maintain regional stability and common prosperity.

When talking about the Third Prime Minster's Meeting of Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Minister Li Zhaoxing said that Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders of other five member countries stressed that terrorist, separatist and fundamentalists are major threats to regional security and safety. Multi-lateral and bilateral cooperation is necessary to strike these evil forces.

Minister Li Zhaoxing said that Premier Wen Jiabao and other leaders reiterated that promoting regional economic cooperation was another priority of Shanghai Cooperation Organization. All sides agreed to solve the prominent question of trade facilitation and economic and technological cooperation, which priority on energy, transportation, IT and agriculture projects. More than 127 projects in 11 areas about multilateral trade and economic cooperation have been approved during the meeting. Minister Li Zhaoxing said the success of the meeting indicated that the cooperation of Shanghai Cooperation Organization has entered a period with priority on security and trade and economic cooperation, which would bring about more tangible benefits to the peoples of member countries.

Minister Li Zhaoxing pointed out at last the Premier Wen Jiabao's visit is of important significance to strengthening the relationship between China and Russia and China and Kyrghyz, to promote the comprehensive cooperation of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and to consolidate a peaceful and stable surrounding environment. It helps to strengthen political mutual trust, to promote trade and economic cooperation, to consolidate the good neighbourly friendship with our neighbours. Premier Wen Jiabao's visit is a great success.