Cui Li, vice-president of the Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation Commission (GNFCC) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), met with Andrey Yurievich Belyaninov, secretary-general of the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly of Russia, in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, on Nov 18.

Cui noted that the successful convening of the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in July this year has mapped out systemic plans for further deepening reforms comprehensively and advancing Chinese modernization, injecting strong momentum into China's economic and social development and offering new opportunities for global development.

With 2024 and 2025 designated as China-Russia Years of Culture, Cui said that a series of cultural exchange activities are in full swing, fueling new impetus into promoting people-to-people connectivity and the steady development of China-Russia relations. The GNFCC is ready to build a pragmatic cooperation platform, enhance local exchanges, media exchanges and youth training, and work with the Russian side to create a new landscape for people-to-people diplomacy among SCO countries, she added.

Belyaninov lauded China's remarkable development achievements. He noted that since the signing of memorandums of cooperation, the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly has actively promoted the establishment of the SCO National Center for Public Diplomacy in Russia, with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attending the inauguration ceremony.

Belyaninov emphasized the significance of Russia-China people-to-people friendship and cooperation, adding that Russia will continuously support various activities held during China's rotating presidency of the SCO, in a bid to jointly promote people-to-people exchanges, foster people-to-people connectivity, and work together to create a better future.

Zheng Wei, secretary-general of the GNFCC, and Svetlana Konstantinovna Smirnova, chairperson of the Eurasian and African Peoples' Assembly, also attended the meeting.