ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, June 23 (Xinhua) -- All members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) agree to beef up cooperation with China within a Silk Road cooperation framework proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Xinhua.
The Silk Road Economic Belt is a "very well-timed and appealing" initiative that has "great potential," Putin commented in an hour-long exclusive interview here with Xinhua President Cai Mingzhao ahead of his Saturday state visit to China.
In the first phase of cooperation, the two sides can set up a free trade area, he proposed, noting that the fundamental path of world economic development and EEU-China cooperation is to promote openness.