Chinese, Russian presidents to meet

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will meet for the second time this year when Xi visits Russia for two international summits this week.

The seventh BRICS summit is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday and the 15th meeting of the Council of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Heads of State for Thursday and Friday in Ufa, capital of Russia's Bashkortostan Republic.

Xi and Putin will discuss coordinating the two countries' plans to increase regional trade and infrastructure, bilateral cooperation within multilateral frameworks including the BRICS and SCO, and coordination and cooperation on global and regional issues, Vice-Foreign Minister Cheng Guoping told a press briefing on Monday morning.

Cheng said that the China-Russia partnership does "not target any third party. It is a new model of state relationship featuring cooperation and reciprocity".

He said Xi, Putin and Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj will also meet during Xi's stay in Ufa to discuss trilateral cooperation.

Commenting on reports that Greece had been invited to the BRICS meeting, Cheng said Russia, as host, did invite countries other than the core BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, but it had not confirmed whether the Greek prime minister will attend.

"The Greek crisis will not only greatly affect the EU, but also the world's economic situation. The EU is actively consulting with Greece and we hope the crisis can be properly solved through all parties' efforts," the vice foreign minister said.