The two events of the Year of China and the Year of Russia are two massive projects unprecedented in history in terms of scale and scope, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said.

In an interview, on the eve of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China, Medvedev, who chairs the organizing committee on the Russian side, said leaders of both countries decided in October 2004 to launch the Year of Russia in China in 2006 and Year of China in Russia in 2007.

The implementation of the Year of Russia program has begun in China.

Medvedev said the program of the Year of Russia contains nearly 200 events covering a wide spectrum of areas including economy, culture, technology and education. In the economic respect, a host of activities will be held, including seminars, forums and meetings of the two countries' business leaders, he said.

Russia will launch a large-scale cultural festival in China this year and Russian regions are also expected to run promotional programs in China, Medvedev said. In particular, he said, the cultural events of the Moscow Day and the St. Petersburg Day will be held in Beijing and Shanghai respectively.

The opening ceremony of the Year of Russia is to be held at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing during Russian President Vladimir Putin's upcoming visit to China. Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao will attend the opening ceremony.

Other activities marking the occasion include economic and business summits, national exhibitions, Russian culture week, investment promotion week and a legislature round-table meeting.

Editor: Joey