China, Kazakhstan vow stronger co-op in energy

ASTANA -- Chinese and Kazakh leaders on Saturday vowed to strengthen the cooperation between their two countries in energy, communication, trade and other fields.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and his Kazakh counterpart, Kairat Kelimbetov, made the pledge at the sixth meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee that they co-chaired.

Wang put forward a five-point proposal on future cooperation with Kazakhstan.

First, Wang called for the deepening of energy cooperation. Efforts should be made to ensure the construction of the second-phase a China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline project and the project of a natural gas pipeline linking the two countries, said Wang.

He also asked to expand trade in natural uranium and to explore cooperation in new energy.

Second, Wang urged boosting of interconnection between the two countries by railway and a trans-continental highway linking China and Europe.

Third, he called for more cooperation in non-resource areas. The two countries should optimize trade structure, expand mutual investment, implement agreed projects and push for settlement of general trade in the two countries' own currencies, he said.

Fourth, Wang urged efforts to carry forward cooperation in science and technology, minerals and culture, and to establish a long-term mechanism for science and technology cooperation.

Finally, Wang urged the two sides to promote security cooperation so as to jointly fight the "three evil forces," including "East Turkistan" terrorists, within the bilateral framework and within the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

At the meeting, Kelimbetov, for his part, appreciated China's strong support for Kazakhstan after the outbreak of the 2008 global financial crisis and China's effort to help Kazakhstan win the bid to host the 2017 World Expo.

The two examples indicated the good relations between China and Kazakhstan as well as the high level of mutual trust between the two countries, he said.

The meeting of the cooperation committee between the two countries has achieved fruitful results, Kelimbetov said.

Both sides are confident they are well positioned to realize the goal of bringing two-way trade to $40 billion by 2015, he said.

Kelimbetov promised to enhance bilateral energy cooperation from an overall and strategic perspective, and take measures to raise the oil pipeline transmission capacity and push forward the construction of a Central Asia natural gas pipeline network.

Kazakhstan is happy with progress in the protection of cross-border water resources and their exploitation, Kelimbetov said.

He pledged that his country would continue mutually beneficial cooperation with China in energy, non-resources areas, finance, agriculture, science and technology, culture as well as border trade and interregional cooperation.

Wang and Kelimbetov also witnessed the signing of several intergovernmental cooperation agreements on energy, communication and trade facilitation.