Indonesia, June 6 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the strong rapport between the Russian and Chinese heads of state lays a solid foundation for the two countries to continue opening up new prospects for bilateral ties.

He made the remarks in response to a question from President of Xinhua News Agency Fu Hua at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, which opened on Wednesday. On Thursday, he met heads of 13 major international news agencies attending the forum, including Xinhua.

Putin said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping have built a high level of mutual trust and refer to each other as "old friends."

"This is neither an overstatement nor empty polite remarks," Putin said.

Putin said Russia-Chi...