China is ready to make joint efforts with Kyrgyzstan to strengthen cooperation and safeguard regional peace and stability under a bilateral framework and the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said Chinese Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan in Beijing Wednesday.  

Cao made the remarks during talks with Esen Topoyev, minister of defense of Kyrgyzstan.

Cao, also vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and a state councilor, described the two countries as close good neighbors with shared interests instead of conflicts of interests.

This visit by Topoyev is one important step to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of states during the SCO summit meeting in Moscow last June, he stressed.

Topoyev said that friendship and mutual trust between the two countries and armed forces was strengthened this year.

He noted the successful SCO joint military exercise this year as fruitful cooperation between the two countries.

Topoyev promised to make efforts for the development of military cooperation between the two sides.

(Xinhua News Agency November 20, 2003)