CHINESE Premier Zhu Rongji and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a joint communique yesterday in Shanghai after the Seventh Regular Meeting of the two countries’ prime ministers.

　According to the communique, the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views and reached wide consensus on the implementation of Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, the expansion of cooperation in politics, economies and trade, science and technology and people-to-people exchanges, as well as some major international issues.

　Premier Zhu and Prime Minister Kasyanov hailed the treaty signed by Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16, 2001, describing it as a document “of strategic importance for promoting the sustained and steady growth of bilateral ties.”

　Both sides agreed to jointly implement all articles of the treaty so as to make new progress in enhancing all-round concrete cooperation and strategic coordination, it says.

　The two sides reiterated their determination to continue supporting each other on safeguarding state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

　The Russian side reiterated support for China’s principled stance of China on Taiwan and Tibetan issues and efforts to fight East Turkistan terrorist and separatist forces. The Chinese side supported Russia’s crackdown on Chechen terrorist and separatist forces, the communique says.

　The meeting proceeded in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere and the two sides expressed satisfaction with the results, it says. The communique says that the Eighth Regular Meeting of the prime ministers will be held in Russia in 2003. The exact meeting time will be decided through diplomatic channels.

　　(SD-Agencies)