MOSCOW -- President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, attended on Wednesday a gathering marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The gathering was held after Xi and Putin signed a joint statement to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era.

Addressing the audience at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, Putin said the bilateral relationship has gone through an extraordinary course of development over the past seven decades.

With mutual support and assistance, the two countries have promoted their relations to an unprecedentedly high level, he said.

China has been Russia's largest trading partner, and fruitful results have been achieved in cooperation in energy, aviation, science and technology, and other areas, Putin said.

He hailed the two countries' significant contributions to safeguarding international and regional security and stability, solving hotspot issues and addressing new challenges and threats faced by humanity.