Broader ties with China absolute priority for Russia - Shoigu
MOSCOW. April 16 (Interfax) - The good neighborly relations between Russia and China are contributing to Eurasian peace and stability, Russian Defense Minister Army Gen. Sergei Shoigu told his Chinese counterpart Col. Gen. Chang Wanquan during a fourth international security conference in Moscow on Thursday .
"Broader ties with China are our absolute priority. In the current unstable climate, stronger good neighborly relations between countries foster peace and stability on the Eurasian continent," said Shoigu, pointing to the similarity of Russia's and China's approaches towards international security.
Russia is content with the level of the joint drills held last year, the minister stressed. "And we are planning more this year. Their scale is getting increasingly larger," the minister said.
All measures that Russia and China planned for 2014 were implemented, Shoigu said.
For his part, Chang said that the Russian and Chinese leaders "laid down a solid foundation" for developing the bilateral relationship.
The Chinese military are ready to maintain close relations and develop cooperation, including in the military and military-technical spheres, Chang said