Chinese, Kazakh FMs hold talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation

NUR-SULTAN, June 7 (Xinhua) -- China and Kazakhstan will continue to boost cooperation in various areas in the future, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Tuesday while meeting with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi.

China-Kazakhstan relations have gone through 30 years of trials and hardships, Wang said, adding that the two sides have established a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership, and their mutual trust and friendship have reached an unprecedented height, setting a model for state-to-state relations.

The China-Kazakhstan friendship embodies the efforts and wisdom of generations of leaders and people of both sides, and deserves to be cherished all the more, he said, adding that the Chinese side always regards Kazakhstan as a brotherly neighbor with high mutual trust and a strategic partner for win-win cooperation.

In accordance with the strategic arrangements of the two heads of state, Wang said, China is willing to earnestly summarize the valuable experience in the development of bilateral relations over the past 30 years, promote their traditional friendship, enhance strategic mutual trust, firmly support each other, be a strong support for each other's stability and revitalization, and jointly build the next golden 30 years of China-Kazakhstan relations.

Tleuberdi warmly welcomed Wang, saying that this visit is of great significance to deepening the Kazakhstan-China permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

Under the guidance of the two heads of state, Kazakhstan-China relations have maintained a high level of development, said Tleuberdi, adding that Kazakhstan regards China as a permanent neighbor and an all-weather friend, attaches great importance to their unique and special friendship, regards its relationship with China as a priority of its foreign affairs, and is full of confidence in the future of Kazakhstan-China relations.

Kazakhstan is ready to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to plan the prospects for strategic cooperation between the two countries, deepen practical cooperation in a wide range of fields, and continuously inject new impetus into the development of Kazakhstan-China relations, he said.

The two sides agreed to promote the high-quality joint construction of Belt and Road, give full play to mechanisms including the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee, the dialogue on production capacity and investment cooperation and local cooperation forums, and push forward the cooperation between the two countries to a diversified, in-depth and high level.

The two sides are pleased with the strong resilience shown by the recovery of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, and are willing to strengthen cooperation in production capacity, investment and energy, expand cooperation in manufacturing, give priority to the implementation of social and livelihood projects in Kazakhstan, and boost the diversification of Kazakhstan's economic structure.

The two sides agreed to explore new growth points of high-tech cooperation such as 5G, artificial intelligence, green energy, etc., and jointly build a "green Silk Road" and a "digital Silk Road."

The two sides agreed to continue to improve the level of interconnection and create efficient and convenient "caravans of steel camels" and "digital" railway express. All land ports on the China-Kazakhstan border have resumed operations, and both sides will make good use of the joint prevention and control mechanism to speed up the passage of goods.

Both sides agreed to strengthen the anti-epidemic cooperation. Tleuberdi sincerely thanked China for its timely and important help in Kazakhstan's fight against the epidemic. The two sides will promote the establishment of a traditional Chinese medicine center in Kazakhstan and deepen cooperation in traditional medicine.

The two sides agreed to promote the establishment of cultural centers in both countries and carry out various forms of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to enhance the bond between the two peoples.

The two sides agreed to facilitate personnel exchanges, and reached an agreement on setting up consulate generals in China's Xi'an and Aktobe in Kazakhstan respectively. The Kazakh side said that it will extend the visa-free period for Chinese citizens from seven days to 14 days.

The two sides agreed to continue to support each other on the international arena, strengthen coordination and cooperation in regional organizations, and give full play to the role of China + Central Asia (C+C5) cooperation mechanism as a new platform to jointly promote the success of the upcoming third foreign ministers' meeting.

The two sides agreed to vigorously promote the "Shanghai Spirit," maintain the momentum of the stable development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, support Kazakhstan in successfully hosting the sixth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia this year, jointly safeguard regional security and development, and prevent the repetition of the European disruption in the region. Kazakhstan is also welcome to actively participate in the "BRICS Plus" cooperation.

The two sides also exchanged views on the regional situation and other issues of common concern. After the talks, the two sides jointly met with journalists.