国内英语新闻:Chinese, Russian presidents send congratulatory messages to bilateral friendship organizatio

BEIJING, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have sent congratulations to the Chinese-Russian Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development on its 10th plenary session, which opened in Moscow on Monday.

Xi said the committee has made substantial contributions to deepening mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples, which played an important role in people-to-people exchanges between China and Russia.

Chinese and Russian people now are holding higher expectations on bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, as well as enhanced mutual understanding and friendship, Xi said.

He expressed his hope that the committee can take the plenary session as an opportunity to further expand people-to-people exchanges between the two countries and to strengthen the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

The committee should also blaze new trails and strive for greater achievements in promoting the development of bilateral ties, Xi said.

Putin said in his message that efforts made by the committee have consolidated the social basis for comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Russia and China, and have reinforced understanding and trust between Chinese and Russian people.

Putin hoped that the plenary session can make new contributions to promoting cooperation in social and economic fields, in science and technologies as well as in people-to-people areas.