BEIJING - Senior Chinese military officer Chen Bingde on Tuesday urged joint efforts to maintain the stability and peace of China-Russia border areas.

Chen, chief of the General Staff of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), made the remarks while meeting with Vladimir Pronichev, chief of Russian Border Guard Service.

Chen said China and Russia have successfully solved their border problems with care and commitments of their top leaders, which laid solid foundation for common prosperity of and ever-lasting friendship between the two countries.

In recent years, border guard departments of both sides had carried out effective cooperation in maintaining security and stability in border areas, Chen said.

China-Russia border has bridged the friendship and cooperation between the two peoples, he said.

Chen expressed the hope that both sides will further strengthen coordination, jointly respond to new threats and challenges -- so as to maintain stability and peace of border areas.

In 2004, China and Russia inked a treaty over their eastern border, putting an end to 40 years of border negotiations and getting rid of the biggest hindrance to the development of the bilateral relationship.

Pronichev hailed the progress of bilateral border guard cooperation. He said the area is of great significance to maintaining border security and providing a sound environment for regional economic development.

In recent years, the two countries' border services have conducted close cooperation in border areas, including protecting wild animals and combating illegal fishing.

In the first meeting of China-Russia Joint Border Inspection Committee which concluded in Moscow on Nov 11, the two countries launched their first-ever joint border inspection, which is seen as a significant move to ensuring peace, stability and development in the border areas.