Posted on 01/31/2005 3:29:06 AM PST by Tailgunner Joe
BEIJING, January 31 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow authorities hope that China will support the bid of the Russian capital to host the 2012 Olympic Games, announced Moscow's Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at the Beijing airport. Mr. Luzhkov is on a short visit to the Chinese capital.
"We are certain that China will support Moscow," Yuri Luzhkov said answering the question about China's support of Moscow's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
The Mayor told RIA Novosti that the discussion of the preparation for the 2012 Olympics was an important part of his current visit to Beijing. (London, Paris, Madrid and New York are also competing for the right to host the 2012 Olympics. According to experts, the Russian capital, which hosted the 1980 Olympics, is considered if not an outsider, then certainly not a favorite in the bidding).
In addition, the delegation of the Moscow government plans to discuss the preparation of the Days of Moscow in Beijing and Days of Beijing in Moscow.
"We would like to coordinate some issues of our cooperation while preparing the Days of Moscow in Beijing, and the Days of Beijing in Moscow, respectively," Yuri Luzhkov announced.
He said that the events would be organized in the light of the agreement between the leaders of the two countries to announce 2006 -- the year of Russia in China, and 2007 - the year of China in Russia.
The Moscow Mayor reminded journalists that the city governments of Moscow and Beijing have had close ties for 10 years.
"Beijing is quite similar to Moscow in terms of the amount of the population; therefore, we have similar problems - housing, road construction, etc," Mr. Luzhkov underlined.
Moscow government officials can learn a lot of fruitful lessons from the experience acquired by their Chinese colleagues, he said.
The Russian delegation also plans to study Beijing government's experience in tackling social problems in the city.
Yuri Luzhkov emphasized that the difference between social systems in China and Russia does not mean that "we should not consider interesting solutions applied in China."
Mr. Luzhkov will conclude his visit to Beijing on February 1.
Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, to top advisory body in China, made the remark during a meeting with Mayor of Moscow Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov.
He said China and Russia had kept close high-level exchanges over the last few years. During Russian President Vladimir Putin'svisit to China last October, Chinese President Hu Jintao put forward four basic principles for developing bilateral relations, and the two presidents sanctioned a program for the implementationof the Sino-Russian Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, both of which became guidelines for future development of Sino-Russian relations.
China appreciated Russia's adherence to the one-China policy, he said.
Developing the friendship between Beijing and Moscow, as capitals of two influential countries in the world, was conducive not only to the prosperity of the two cities, but also to the promotion of friendship between the two countries and two peoples,he said.
"We're grateful to Moscow for its support on Beijing's bid for hosting the 2008 Olympic Games," said Jia, who formerly served as the top leader of the Chinese capital.
"The government and people of Beijing are busy with preparations for the Olympic Games, he said.
Luzhkov was also satisfied with the latest development of Russia-China relations and the major progress in the exchange and cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
He said Russia was ready to enhance cooperation with China in various areas.
Isn't New York going after the 2012 Games? If not, then Bush could stick one more finger in Carter's eye by supporting Moscow's bid for the Games.
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