Russia should do what it can to interest China in investing in its vast Far East regions, President Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday, Xinhua reported.
"China remains one of the pivotal economic and trade partners of Russia," Medvedev said during a meeting on cooperation between Russia, China and Mongolia that was attended by federal and regional officials.
China not only presents a huge market for exports, the president said, but also holds remarkable financial resources that could be invested in the Russian economy.
The fact that Russia's foreign trade has contracted by one third since January should not affect any major projects in the Far East, Medvedev said.
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin said during the meeting that the government planned to propose selling gas supplies to China during Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming state visit to Moscow.
Cooperation with China in this field has broad prospects, Sechin said.
Medvedev arrived in Khabarovsk on Thursday to attend the 2009 Russia-European Union summit.
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