YOUNG PIONEERS: Quake kids attend the opening ceremony of a summer camp in Tuapse on the northeast shore of the Black Sea with their Russian instructor on July 20

More than 1,500 young Chinese earthquake victims will spend a rest and recuperation period in Russia at the invitation of the Russian Government.

The children, aged from seven to 16, are from the earthquake-stricken provinces of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi. The first two groups of 1,020 children left for Russia on July 17 and July 24, respectively. Another 550 are expected to make the trip next year.

"This is part of Russia's assistance to China after the Wenchuan earthquake," said Igor Morgulov, Minister Counselor of the Russian Embassy in Beijing at a press conference. "The Russian Government will cover all the costs of the children while they are in Russia. The Russians will treat our Chinese guests with our greatest hospitality."

The Chinese children will stay in 15 children's rehabilitation centers in 12 regions of Russia, mostly in the east of the country. "These regions are close to China, so the children won't have to take a long flight," said Morgulov.

During their three-week-long stay in Russia, the children will receive rehabilitation treatments including psychological consultations. They will also attend various cultural programs and visit local places of interest.

Chinese teachers, doctors and interpreters make up part of the tour group. The doctors will bring some traditional Chinese medicine with them so that they can continue to treat the children while in Russia. "Russian chefs may not be able to cook genuine Sichuan dishes," said Morgulov. "But we will try to make sure the children have delicious food in Russia."

It is the first time for Russia to invite such a large number of foreign children to take recuperative vacations in the country since the founding of the Russian Federation in 1991, he said.

The program was proposed by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during his first state visit to China only two weeks after the May 12 Wenchuan earthquake.

Russia originally planned to invite hundreds of Chinese children, but the number was greatly increased as different Russian regions vied to host Chinese children, Morgulov said.

Before the first group left for Russia, Chinese President Hu Jintao received some of the children in Zhongnanhai, the seat of China's Central Government, on July 16. Hu wished them a safe journey while encouraging them to make friends with Russian children and be "little envoys" for their country.

China highly appreciates Russia's prompt assistance with its earthquake relief efforts and invitation to provide recuperative vacations for the traumatized quake children, Hu said in a meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on July 21. Russia's initiatives provide evidence to the deep friendship between the two nations, he added.

Lavrov told Hu that Russia attaches great importance to the children's recuperation program and would receive them warmly.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Jianchao said the program embodies the "profound friendship" of the Russian people toward the Chinese people and the "high level and distinctive nature" of the Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership.

"We believe this important move will further deepen the mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples, promote our friendship from generation onto generation, and lay a solid foundation for the long-term, sound and stable growth of the Sino-Russian strategic cooperative partnership," he said in a statement.

Shortly after the earthquake, Russia sent a rescue team as well as a medical team to assist China's earthquake relief efforts. It dispatched 22 cargo flights to transport disaster relief materials to China. To date, it has provided the disaster area with more than 2,000 tents, 11 power generators, 23 mobile kitchens, 21,000 quilts and 30 tons of food, said Morgulov.

China hosted 19 traumatized children from Beslan, Russia, in two groups for a month-long convalescent stay in Sanya, Hainan Province, in May 2006 and March 2008, respectively. Morgulov said Russia was grateful for China's help after the Beslan school hostage crisis in September 2004.