Moscow, May 26: Chinese President Hu Jintao today kicked off his six-day Russia visit which would see him discuss a broad range of bilateral and international issues with his counterpart Vladimir Putin besides meeting a host of world leaders, including Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Bilateral military, economic co-operation and post-Iraq war situation are to top the agenda of the Sino-Russian summit tomorrow, official sources said here.

Hu would also travel to St. Petersberg to join the galaxy of world leaders including Prime Minsiter Atal Bihari Vajpayee and US President George W Bush for the 300th anniversary celebrations of Russia's former imperial capital. President Hu, who would be meeting Vajpayee for the first time, is expected to discuss bilateral ties and other issues of common interest.

Russia and China have set the goal of boosting their bilateral trade from current USD 12 billion to USD 20 billion in the coming years and would focus on new areas of co-operation including information technology, Russian foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said. In an interview to Russian state TV, Hu named energy co-operation as the most promising sector of Sino-Russian interaction as China being the biggest consumer of energy resources in the world and Russia biggest exporter of fossil fuel on the global market.

Though it is Hu's maiden Russia visit, this would be his third meeting with Putin, whom he had first met in Moscow in October 2001 and later the Russian leader's Beijing visit last December.

On May 29 Putin and Hu are also to attend the summit of Shanghai co-operation organisation.

Bureau Report