China will strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan to boost Sino-Kazak friendship in marking the 10th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties, according to Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen.

Qian made the remarks in Beijing on Friday at a meeting with Kazakhstan's State Secretary and Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasymzhomart Tokayev.

Qian said that in the past decade, frequent high-level exchanges between the two countries had increased mutual political trust, fruitful cooperation in such fields as economics and trade, and deepened the traditional friendship between the two peoples.

Meanwhile, the two countries had cooperated closely on major international and regional issues including within the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which, Qian said, had played an important role in safeguarding regional security and stability.

He stressed that China attached importance to its relations with Kazakhstan and held that to boost bilateral relations was in the basic interests of both countries and their peoples and conducive to regional security and stability.

Echoing Qian, Tokayev said that the Chinese government recognized Kazakhstan after the country became independent, and in the past decade, the two nations had enjoyed sound political relations and rapid growth in trade and economic cooperation.

Kazakhstan highly valued Chinese leaders' contributions to the development of bilateral relations and would work with China to further strengthen their cooperation in both bilateral and international fields, especially in the SCO, said Tokayev.

Kazakhstan would make tireless efforts to safeguard peace and stability in the region, added Tokayev.

He also said the demarcation agreement signed between the two countries during this visit marked the final settlement of their border issues and would further promote the development of bilateral relations.

(Xinhua News Agency May 10, 2002)