August 27, 2008 

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev in Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan, Aug. 27, 2008. The Chinese and Russian presidents are in Dushanbe for Thursday's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit. [Xinhua Photo]

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev met in the Tajik capital of Dushanbe Wednesday to discuss furthering bilateral relations.

"I'm very glad to meet you again in just over a month," President Hu told Medvedev, whom he met on the sidelines of the outreach sessions of the Group of Eight Summit in Japan on July 9.

With support from the international community including Russia, the Beijing Olympic Games were successfully held this month, Hu said, expressing appreciation for the assistance received from the Russian government and people.

"What I want to stress is that the Russian athletes performed excellently during the Games," Hu said.

He reiterated that China will firmly support Russia in hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in its Black Sea resort of Sochi, offering assistance in the organization and security of the games.

Medvedev said the frequent meetings between Russian and Chinese leaders were indicative of the close relations between the two states.

He congratulated China on the success of the Beijing Olympics, noting that good organization made the Games an excellent event and unique in Olympic history.

Medvedev congratulated the Chinese Olympians on their achievements and also praised the performance of Russian athletes.

Hu and Medvedev are in Dushanbe for Thursday's Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which will focus on economic, security and cultural cooperation in the region.

Founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001, the SCO groups China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India are observers of the SCO.

President Hu arrived in Dushanbe Tuesday for a state visit and the SCO summit. The Chinese leader is currently on a three-nation tour, which took him to the Republic of Korea and will also bring him to Turkmenistan.