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Russian envoy confident of settling border dispute

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Russia's ambassador to China yesterday predicted a swift settlement to the last border dispute between the two countries and said relations had never been better.

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Igor Rogachev, 70 - who has been involved in Sino-Russian affairs since working as a translator in 1955 - gave an upbeat assessment of bilateral relations after last week's visit to Beijing by President Vladimir Putin.

'We have a border more than 4,200 kilometres long. The last areas in dispute involve 200 to 300 square kilometres,' he said. 'Our two presidents ordered their foreign ministries to finish negotiations as soon as possible. I am sure we can settle very soon.'

The three disputed areas are two islands close to Khabarovsk, on the border with Heilongjiang, and Bolshoi island in the Argun river. All three are claimed by China but are under Russian control.

Mr Rogachev said that last week's summit between Mr Putin and Mr Jiang, in addition to a treaty of friendship signed by the two men in Moscow in July last year, had elevated relations and created favourable conditions to settle the border issue.

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The two leaders reached agreement on a range of issues, including a determination to fight terrorism in all its forms.

'Terrorists in Chechnya and East Turkestan are inseparable parts of the same international terrorism,' he said.

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