Chinese emergency management vice minister asks Russian Emergency Situations Ministry to help train firefighters

NEW DELHI. April 20 (Interfax) - Chinese Emergency Management Vice Minister Xu Jiaai has asked Russian Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to train Chinese specialists in extinguishing fires from aircraft, the press service for the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry said on Thursday.

"We are very interested in your experience of using aircraft to fight fires. We are asking you to consider the possibility of training our specialists in this area," Xu said at a bilateral meeting with Kurenkov in New Delhi on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference.

The Chinese Emergency Management Ministry is also interested in enhancing cooperation in border territories. "We also deem it important to develop the interaction in border territories and support the positive experience of flash flood containment. Building cooperation in fighting fires in border territories is a major priority for us," Xu said.

Russian airmobile hospitals are yet another point of interest for the Chinese Emergency Management Ministry. "We would like to study your experience," Xu said.

Kurenkov proposed that every aspect of cooperation be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Russian-Chinese commission in early July.

"China will host the 24th Fire and Rescue Sports Conference his year and the 19th World Fire and Rescue Sport Championship in 2024. Hopefully, this platform will present another opportunity for strengthening our cooperation," Kurenkov said.