The communique was signed by visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at the 13th regular prime ministers' talks between the two countries.

In the communique, the two sides agreed to continue to organize and hold activities of cultural exchanges between the youths of China and Russia, including an art festival, summer or winter camps and language competitions.

The two sides expressed satisfaction with the successful Russian cultural festival in China this year and support for the Chinese cultural festival in Russia in 2009, which they said will be an important event marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The two sides will encourage their libraries, museums and theaters to set up direct contacts and develop cooperation.

Both countries will also continue to deepen cooperation in health-care services, especially in such fields as prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, rest cure and medicine supervision.

They will facilitate sports exchanges and cooperation, agreeing to hold the 3rd China-Russia youth games in 2009.

The two sides will comprehensively implement bilateral accords and programs in tourism, and improve the mechanism and expand cooperation in such fields as media, movie production and file management.

Both countries support their media's publicity of activities of the year of the Russian language in China and the year of the Chinese language in Russia.

They agreed to hold the 14th regular prime ministers' talks in China next year on a date to be decided through diplomatic discussions.

Wen arrived here Monday for a three-day official visit to Russia aimed at strengthening China's strategic partnership with the country.

Russia is the first leg of Wen's two-nation tour, which will also take him to Kazakhstan.