Energy co-op critical to common prosperity
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-07-02 21:35

Chinese President Hu Jintao said that energy cooperation between China and Kazakstan is strategically important for the two countries to achieve common prosperity.

Hu said in a recent written interview in Beijing with Kazakstan News Agency prior to his visit to Kazakstan that the energy cooperationis an important component of the friendly cooperation between the two countries.

He said that China-Kazakstan relations have scored all-round development since the two countries forged diplomatic ties, with high-level visits frequent and political mutual trust increasing day by day.

Remarkable achievements have been made in bilateral cooperationin such fields as economy, trade, public transportation, energy and security, Hu added.

The two countries have always supported each other on issues concerning the national sovereignty and territorial integrity and scored effective cooperation in multinational occasions of the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia(CICA), Hu said, noting that the two countries have made contributions to the maintenance of regional stability and common prosperity.

"China is very pleased to note fruitful results made in the development of bilateral relations," Hu said.

Hu said China attaches great importance to the pragmatic cooperation with Kazakstan in various fields, pointing out that a China-Kazakstan cooperation commission in the level of vice premier, in charge of coordination work concerning cooperation between the two sides, has been especially established.

"The commission has played a very significant role of promoting bilateral cooperation between China and Kazakstan," Hu said.

China and Kazakstan share strong complementarity and huge potential in bilateral cooperation, Hu said, noting that the two sides have witnessed rapid growth in economic and trade cooperation in recent years, with bilateral trade volume greatly rising, Hu said.

The Chinese president said that the two countries launched a series of cooperative projects in science and technological field,which involve agriculture, information, energy, earthquake, physics and natural resource exploration.

The bilateral exchanges and cooperation in education, culture and sports arena are also increasing, which serves as bridge to strengthen communication and further friendship between the two peoples, Hu added.

According to the president, China and Kazakstan are preparing actively for the establishment of a center of international boundary cooperation in the Helgus boundary port, and will carry out other projects concerning scientific and technological cooperation, including the establishment of a science and technology zone between China and Kazakstan.

"The Chinese government will actively promote the implementation of those cooperative projects which accords with fundamental interests of both peoples and is conducive for regional prosperity," Hu said.

President Hu, now in Russia for a four-day state visit, is scheduled to pay a state visit shortly to Kazakhstan on July 3-4, and attend the SCO summit meeting in Kazak capital of Astana before attending the G8 plus five summit in Britain.