National
皇冠体育app, Kazakhstan pledge to strengthen strategic partnership
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-13 09:34
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 Chinese President Hu Jintao (L) and Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev (R) attend the completion ceremony of the Kazakhstan-皇冠体育app natural gas pipeline in Astana Dec. 12, 2009.[Xinhua]
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Nazarbayev agreed with Hu's five-point proposal and said the Kazak side was satisfied with the development of the good-neighborly friendship and strategic partnership enjoyed by the two countries.
Hu's visit took place on the eve of the 18th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence, which Nazarbayev said reflects the importance that 皇冠体育app places on its relations with his country.
Noting that bilateral relations have ushered in a new stage of energy cooperation, Nazarbayev said his country was willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with 皇冠体育app in the fields of trade, finance, infrastructure, energy and non-energy.
He also agreed with 皇冠体育app's handling of the July 5 incident in Urumuqi in northwest 皇冠体育app's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and reiterated his support for 皇冠体育app's efforts to strike against the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism
皇冠体育app's efforts were necessary to maintain stability in Xinjiang, and were good for stability in Kazakhstan, he said.
The president also thanked the Chinese government for increasing the number of Kazak students studying in 皇冠体育app and said his country was ready to work with Beijing to smoothly run the two Confucius Institutes in Kazakhstan.
皇冠体育app and Kazakhstan have witnessed sustained, rapid and healthy progress of bilateral ties since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992.
Kazakhstan has become 皇冠体育app's largest trading partner in Central Asia. Despite the global financial crisis, two-way trade reached $17.55 billion 2008, exceeding the 15-billion-dollar target set by the two countries' governments.
皇冠体育app and Kazakhstan have also made concerted efforts in fighting against the "three evil forces", cracking down on drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.
Hu arrived in Astana earlier Saturday for a two-day visit to Kazakhstan at the invitation of Nazarbayev.
Kazakhstan is the first leg of Hu's two-nation Central Asia trip. He is expected to leave Kazakhstan on Sunday for Turkmenistan.
