Russian ambassador to China Igor A. Rogachev, called "the old friend of the Chinese people", will leave his post this month.

"May I kiss you on behalf of all of us?" Liu Xia, 70-year-old Chinese asked Rogachev, who took the post of ambassador to China in April, 1992. "Sure. I want to kiss every one of you," Rogachev answered.

Rogachev attended a celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the victory of Russia's Patriotic War held by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) Thursday afternoon.

On the celebration, two glee clubs composed of senior citizens who once studied Russian language sang Russian Patriotic War songs.

Rogachev joined them and sang together with them, receiving lots of cheers and applause.

Several gray-haired Chinese senior citizens surrounded Rogachev, took pictures with him, chatted with him in Chinese and were reluctant to say good-bye to him.

A group of Chinese senior citizens, who spent their childhood in the former Soviet Union in the 1940s, presented Rogachev two Chinese vases. "Rogachev is our best friend and treats us so well.

In case the Russian embassy holds some receptions or plays cinemas, he never forgets to invites us. We don't want him to leave," Liu Xia said.

"I will always remember my days in China. Long last our friendship!" Rogachev said.

The 73-year-old ambassador, spent more than 20 years in China.

In 1936, the 4-year-old Rogachev went to China with his father and spent the long winter with his family in the Soviet Union's Consulate General in northeast China's Harbin, which was blocked by Japanese troops.

CPAFFC President Chen Haosu said Rogachev is a senior diplomat and the Chinese people's old friend. "He witnessed most of the landmark issues between the two countries, and has made excellent contributions to the cross-century development of Sino-Russian relations," Chen said.

Rogachev will take his new post in the Federal Assembly of Russian Federation. "I will spare no efforts to continue promoting Russia-China friendship. I will miss all of my Chinese friends," the ambassador said.

Source: Xinhua