MOSCOW. June 6 (Interfax) - President Vladimir Putin has said his fourth presidential term will focus on positioning Russia on the world stage as a country committed to principles of international law.
"We will focus on positioning Russia on the global stage as a country that adheres to the principles of international law, respects its partners' interests and, of course, protect its own interests," Putin told the China Media Group in an interview shortly before his visit to Beijing.
"In this sense, I would like to say that we pay great attention to cooperating with our traditional and reliable partners, allies and friends. The People's Republic of China is, of course, among them," Putin said.
"Our [Russian-Chinese] historical ties and roots go very deep," he said.
"It means that we have many things in common, including our approaches to building our states and to our people," Putin said.
He referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping's aspiration for improving people's life.
"This goal may be achieved by different means, but it is the same for us; Russia cannot have any other goal but improving its citizens' lives," Putin said.
"It informs the way we think about how to build Russian-Chinese relations to achieve these goals, to ensure our external security and work together to create a new kind of economy based on the latest innovations, the digital economy, advances in genetics and the best ways to manage society, the state and the economy itself. So we have many things in common," he said.
Putin mentioned Russia's sustainable development, economic growth, the innovative economy, the development of infrastructure, healthcare and education, and the provision of security as other priorities of his presidency.