On May 25, 2010, Assistant Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping met with visiting Director of the Federal Drug Control Service of the Russian Federation Viktor Ivanov. The two sides exchanged views on the bilateral relations and cooperation in drug control.

Cheng noted that President Hu Jintao’s presence at the celebration of 65th anniversary of victory in Russia’s Great Patriotic War well demonstrates the firm mutual support between the two countries for issues concerning the core interest of each other and has landmark significance of promoting China-Russia strategic partnership. The fruitful cooperation between the drug control authorities of China and Russia under both bilateral and multilateral frameworks effectively safeguards the national security and social stability of both countries. The Chinese foreign ministry will continue to support the bilateral cooperation in this regard.

Ivanov said that President Hu’s presence at the celebration of 65th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War demonstrated the speciality and solidarity of Russia-China relations. Drug threatens the security and social stability of Russia and China. Central Asia is a key region for drug control. Russia is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in drug control in order to maintain the interest of both sides.