Foreign and Military Affairs
Hu, Nazarbayev meet to further ties
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-12 19:41
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 Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) is welcomed by a Kazakh official upon his arrival at Astana, Kazakhstan, December 12, 2009. [Xinhua] |
ASTANA: Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao met his Kazakh counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbayev, here Saturday to discuss further development of the two countries' close ties.
The two leaders will also exchange views on major international and regional issues of common concern, Chinese diplomats said.
President Hu arrived here earlier in the day for a working visit.
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The China-Central Asia pipeline starts on the border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, runs through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan before reaching China's northwest region of Xinjiang.
President Hu and leaders of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will take part in a ceremony marking the completion of one of the two pipelines that make up the project, on Monday.
The pipeline, initiated by leaders of China and Turkmenistan, served the long-term interests of the two nations and would promote social and economic development of the countries in the region, Chinese officials said.
This is Hu's fourth visit to the Central Asian country as Chinese president, having previously visited in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
China and Kazakhstan established diplomatic relations in 1992 and forged a strategic partnership during Hu's visit in July 2005.
In recent years, the two countries have maintained frequent high-level contacts, enhanced political mutual trust, and expanded cooperation and collaboration within the multilateral framework. Pragmatic cooperation between the two countries has yielded fruitful results.
In 2008, two-way trade volume between China and Kazakhstan reached US$17.5 billion, up 26 percent from 2007.
The Chinese leader is on a two-nation tour to Central Asia. He will also visit Turkmenistan on Sunday.
