Interfax
July 1, 2013
Shoigu, Chinese General Staff chief confer on Syria
Moscow: The Russian visit of Chief of the China People’s Liberation Army General Staff Col. Gen. Fang Fenghui displays the strategic nature of bilateral relations, Russian Defense Minister Gen. of the Army Sergei Shoigu said at the meeting with the Chinese general.
Shoigu said he held negotiations with Chinese Defense Minister Col. Gen. Chang Wanquan on June 26 on the sidelines of a meeting of SCO defense ministers.
“We had a frank discussion of certain issues. Primarily, we discussed crises: the situation in Syria and around it, in the first turn. We also frankly discussed the holding of surprise inspections of combat preparedness of our armed forces. I gave a rather detailed account of the goals and tasks of these inspections. We plan to continue them,” Shoigu said.
He said the same issue would be discussed at the Monday meeting of Fang with Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov.
“I think that your visit to Moscow is the continuation and confirmation of the strategic nature of bilateral relations,” the Russian minister stressed.
Fang said he was pleased to meet Shoigu. He also said that Russia was the first foreign state he was visiting in the General Staff Chief’s capacity. Fang thanked Shoigu for the good organization of his visit.
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Itar-Tass
July 1, 2013
Visit by chief of China’s General Staff proves strategic relations – Shoigu
MOSCOW: Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Fang Fenghui’s visit to Russia proves strategic relationship between the two countries, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said.
At the meeting with the Chinese general on Monday, Shoigu said, “We discussed several issues in detail. We focused on the crises: of course, the situation in Syria and around the Middle East region.”
“We discussed issues related to operational readiness of the Armed Forces,” the Russian defence minister said, adding that these issues would be discussed at the meeting between Fang Fenghui and chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
“I believe that your visit to Moscow will prove that relations between our countries are of strategic nature,” the minister stressed.
Shoigu recalled that he had held talks with Chinese Defence Minister Colonel-General Chang Wanquan on June 26.
The chief of China’s General Staff said he was very pleased to meet Sergei Shoigu. In his words, Russia is the first state that he visited after he was appointed as chief of General Staff. He expressed gratitude for organizing the meeting.
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