BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia on Thursday jointly launched a friendly strategic dialogue mechanism with the aim to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership of coordination through non-governmental channels.

    The first meeting of the dialogue mechanism, co-sponsored by the China Association for International Friendly Contacts (CAIFC) and the Russian Institute of Security, National Defense and Justice, attracted about fifty experts and scholars from both countries to discuss strategic issues on regional security, antiterrorism and energy cooperation.

    Li Guixian, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body, and Mihail Nikolaev, vice chairman of the Russian Federation Council attended the first-run meeting.

    Li said non-governmental exchanges play an irreplaceable and important role in enhancing international relations. The launch of the friendly strategic dialogue mechanism will enrich the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination with fresh meaning.

    "It is conducive to increasing friendship and mutual trust between the two nations and contributes to the sound and stable development of bilateral relations", Li noted.

    Nikolaev said Russia and China have conducted excellent cooperation in political, economic, military and cultural fields, setting a fine model of good neighborly relationship for the rest countries of the world.

    The dialogue is bound to help the two countries to better understand each other, Nikolaev added.

    The dialogue mechanism is part of the Russia Year in China program which is designed to further bilateral friendship through various concrete events. Enditem