Premier Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev attended the closing ceremony of the China-Russia Media Exchange Year program in Beijing on Nov 1.

The two prime ministers and over 600 media and youth representatives from China and Russia watched a video showing the development of the program in the past two years at the ceremony.

Premier Li and Medvedev highly commended the positive results and social influences brought about by the program.

Premier Li said the two government leaders decided to launch the media exchange year two years ago, which indicates that China and Russia, as comprehensive strategic partners, have high mutual political trust and cultural understanding, and hold objective and friendly attitudes toward each other.

The past two years have highlighted media exchanges activities, covering such areas as politics, economics, culture, and people’s lives, building a bridge for people in the two countries to deepen mutual understanding, said the Premier.

He said both China and Russia are countries with a long history and profound cultural foundation, and media outlets in the two countries also have their own characteristics.

The China-Russia Media Exchange Year program has consolidated understanding and friendship and enhanced learning exchanges between both sides, becoming an innovative international media exchange event.

Today’s closing ceremony is not an ending but a new starting point, which is expected to open a new chapter for media cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between two countries, and push enduring bilateral friendship to pass from generation to generation, Premier Li noted.

Medvedev said over 250 activities have taken place during the media exchange year, achieving impressive results, bringing new opportunities to bilateral ties, and fully interpreting friendship between two nations and strategic importance of the relationships.

The Russian side hopes the people-to-people exchange and cooperation between China and Russia could create new chapters with a focus on the future, he added.

Vice-Premier Liu Yandong and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Olga Golodets attended the ceremony.