Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov said in Xinjiang Sunday Kazakhstan will work with China to speed up construction of the border area to further promote bilateral economic and trade ties.

 

Masimov, who was here for a two-day visit to northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, made the remarks when he visited the Chinese side of a cross-border trade zone between China and Kazakhstan at Horgos in Xinjiang.

 

Masimov said he hopes China and Kazakhstan could conduct win-win cooperation in the boundary port so to bring benefits to the two peoples.

 

The China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center was the next strategic cooperation project after the cross-border oil pipelines between the two countries.

 

The construction on the Chinese side started in June 2006, 3 months later than that on the Kazakh side.

 

The center involves a total investment of 8 to 10 billion yuan (about US$1 to US$1.29 billion) and is expected to open in five to seven years, according to the center's administration.

 

The central area of the zone covers 1.2 square kilometers in Kazakhstan and 3.43 square kilometers in China, and an auxiliary area will cover another 9.73 square kilometers in China.

 

On Saturday, Masimov went to another important port on the border area -- Alataw Pass, where a Sino-Kazakh oil pipeline started in China.

 

The transnational pipeline, extending 962.2 km from Atasu in Kazakhstan to the Alataw Pass, was completed in November 2005 at a cost of US$700 million.

 

This is the first foreign visit of Masimov since he took the office of prime minister in January 2007.

 

Masimov's entourage is a dozen of high-level officials, including minister of finance, minister of industry and trade, minister of transport and communication, minister of energy and mineral resources and others.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2007)