Direct telephone line btw Russian, Chinese Pres to be established.

12/10 Tass 198

MOSCOW, October 12 (Itar-Tass) - Russia and China are going to sign an
intergovernmental agreement on establishing a direct telephone line
between the two countries' Presidents.

On the Russian side, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has already issued
a resolution on endorsing the document.
The line will be used for an encrypted transmission of data "in
regular and emergency situations likewise," Putin said in the resolution
that was published by the portal carrying the government's official
documents.
On the Russian side, operations under the agreement will be supervised
by the Federal Guarding Service and on the Chinese side, the Department of
Communications of the Zhongnanhai official residence.
The draft of the intergovernmental agreement says its objective is to
develop Russian-Chinese relations, given mutual interest in creating and
developing the technological facilities for top-level confidential
official contacts.
-0-kle/gor