Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and visiting Chinese Foreign
Minister Li Zhaoxing met in Bishkek Sunday to discuss relations
between their two countries, calling for the further development of
bilateral ties.
During the meeting, Li said
China and Kyrgyzstan have forged closer relations, with
political trust between the two countries deepened, cooperation in
all fields expanded, mutual support in international affairs
enjoyed and border issues fully solved.
Li thanked Kyrgyzstan for its consistent support for China on
the issues of Taiwan, Tibet and the fight against "East Turkistan"
group. The Chinese foreign minister pledged that China would
consistently back Kyrgyzstan's efforts to safeguard its national
sovereignty and security and to promote its economic
development.
Speaking highly of the good-neighborly treaty of friendship and
cooperation signed in June of last year between the two countries,
Li said the treaty provided the legal basis and set the direction
for the development of bilateral relations.
Li said that China is willing to implement the treaty earnestly
along with the Kyrgyz side so as to deepen the good-neighborly
friendship relations between the two countries in various
fields.
For his part, Akayev told Li that the good-neighborly friendship
treaty signed by the two countries laid solid foundation for the
development of bilateral ties oriented to the 21st century and the
cooperation between the two countries in the fields of
counter-terrorism, justice and culture is very effective.
Akayev thanked China for its economic assistance to his country,
saying that he would like to see bilateral trade and economic
cooperation will be expanded in the future.
Since 1998, China has become the second biggest trading partner
of Kyrgyzstan. Last year, bilateral trade volume reached US$200
million. Some big Chinese state-owned enterprises have invested in
the country, opening up a new chapter in Sino-Kyrgyz economic
cooperation.
The president spoke highly of the cooperation between the two
sides in the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO). He expressed the hope, the organization, with the efforts
from Kyrgyzstan, China and other members, will continue to play an
important role in safeguarding regional peace and stability.
The Chinese foreign minister arrived here on Saturday for a
two-day visit following a visit to Uzbekistan. He will fly home
after his visit to Kyrgyzstan.
(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2003)