Hu Jintao meets top Kazakh officials

cctv.com 07-05-2005 08:44

The second summit of the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program will get underway in Kunming， capital of southwest China’s Yunnan province. We'll broadcast live the opening ceremony when it starts. But first, some major stories from China and around the world. Chinese President Hu Jintao has met with top Kazakh officials in Astana. Bilateral ties and economic cooperation topped the agenda of their meetings. While in Kazakhstan, Hu Jintao also met with Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh.

In a meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov, the Chinese head of state said Sino-Kazakh relations have kept a strong momentum of growth in recent years, marked by deepening mutual trust and an ever stronger political foundation.

President Hu said bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, transportation, and security has yielded important results... and coordination in international organizations like the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization has also been fruitful.

He said the strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan is in the interests of the two peoples and conducive to regional peace and stability.

Hu Jintao described the economic cooperation as an important foundation for bilateral ties, saying two-way trade has kept an upward trend in recent years and the oil pipeline project is making headway.

The Chinese president said the two sides have set a target of hitting 10 billion US dollars in bilateral trade by 2010, and are expecting cooperation to expand in energy, telecommunications and transportation.

Akhmetov said the Kazakh government is trying to diversify its economy, and its cooperation with China plays a big role in the country's development strategy.

He added that Kazakhstan will ensure the Kazakh-Chinese oil pipeline project is completed on schedule, and welcomes Chinese companies to take part in the exploration and development of the country's gas and oil resources.

Later in the day, President Hu Jintao also met with Nurtai Abykaev, chairman of Kazakhstan's upper house of parliament, and Ural Muhamedzanov, chairman of the lower house.

Hu expressed his appreciation for the adoption of the law against extremism that was passed by the Kazakh parliament last year, saying cracking down on the three evil forces, namely terrorism, separatism and extremism, helps create a peaceful and stable environment for development in the region.

The President said the legislative bodies of the two countries have worked effectively in pushing forward the friendly ties between the two nations.

Abykaev said the Kazakh parliament resolutely opposes the three evil forces and Taiwan independence. He voiced support for China's national reunification.

Muhamedzanov said it is a consensus among all the lawmakers of the Mazhlis to strengthen the friendly ties with China, and the lower house looks forward to closer contacts with the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

Also in the day, President Hu Jintao met Indian Foreign Minister, Natwar Singh. He told Singh that China hopes the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will serve as a new platform for strengthening bilateral cooperation with India.

Hu said relations between China and India are facing a historic opportunity for development and the two countries should seize the opportunity to increase mutually beneficial cooperation, further promote good-neighborly relations and friendship, and continue to enrich the contents of the bilateral strategic partnership.

Singh, who is here as a representative of the Indian prime minister for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, said India is pleased to become a SCO observer and would like to make its due contributions to the organization's development. India is willing to further expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation with China.

President Hu Jintao is on a state visit to Kazahkstan, where he will attend the fifth SCO summit today.

Editor:Hu Hang  Source:CCTV.com