MOSCOW - Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Russia will bring new impetus to Russia-China cooperation in various sectors, says a senior China expert in Russia.

Mikhail Titarenko, head of the Far East Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua in a recent interview that Hu is a longtime close friend of Russia.

He said Hu's visit is expected to encourage more joint efforts in both economic projects and political issues.

"The prospects of Russian-Chinese cooperation are really great. We have favorable conditions for economic cooperation and cultural interaction," Titarenko said.

He said the two countries could enjoy a win-win situation in mutual investments, energy cooperation, joint ventures, and talent exchanges.

Titarenko pointed out that the Russian market still cannot attract abundant direct investment from China and trade volume between the two partners is comparatively low.

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Titarenko, who is also chairman of the Russia-China Friendship Association, said the two countries' leaders might also discuss international issues and how to enhance Russia-China collaboration on the world stage.

The scholar spoke highly of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia. The treaty was signed by the then leaders of the two international powers, Jiang Zemin and Vladimir Putin, on July 16, 2001.

"The treaty is a serious document of cooperation as it allows to create a multilayered structure of political, economic and cultural consultations between Russia and China," Titarenko said, hailing the 10th anniversary of the treaty.

"These are not just meetings for protocol, but meetings considering international issues and cooperation of Russia and China as permanent members of the UN Security Council," Titarenko said.

Titarenko called the treaty "the key historical document that set the legal basis for the stable and healthy development" of China-Russian ties during the past 10 years.

He noted that the measure supports the principles of equal rights, cooperation, mutual help and general responsibility for global security and stability, and because of that the measure is of bilateral and international importance.

Russia-China ties nowadays have become a model of equal and friendly relations between different political systems and will receive more vitality and vigor from Hu's visit, Titarenko said.

Hu will arrive in Moscow on Wednesday, where he will meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. The Chinese president will also attend the 15th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.