Visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said in Bishkek Tuesday that China is ready to comprehensively enhance cooperation with Kyrgyzstan on the basis of equality, mutual trust and mutual benefit.

 

The Chinese government attached great importance to developing friendly relations with Kyrgyzstan and regarded the Central Asian country as a sincere friend and important partner of China, Wen said at a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart Nikolai Tanayev.

 

Tanayev shared this view, saying the two countries trusted each other politically and had made joint efforts to promote bilateral ties in economic and trade fields as well as in security affairs.

 

Wen arrived in Bishkek Tuesday afternoon local time for an official visit to the Kyrgyz Republic, the first leg of his two-nation trip to Central Asia and Russia.

 

Wen said at the meeting that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 12 years ago, bilateral ties had developed steadily, witnessing great cooperation achievements in the political and economic fields. He said that during the visit the two countries signed a series of documents guiding bilateral cooperation from 2004 to 2014. These documents, he said, would mark another great achievement in bilateral ties.

 

Wen suggested that the two countries work harder to create favorable conditions for cooperation between the two countries' enterprises, particularly large-scale joint ventures. China and Kyrgyzstan should expand cooperation in the fields of energy, mineral exploitation and electric communications, and enhance border trade, Wen said.

 

He stressed the importance of joining efforts in fighting against terrorism, extremism and separatism, saying this was a major part of security cooperation between the two countries.

 

"We should strengthen our efforts in combating terrorism and take concrete and effective measures in safeguarding human lives and properties in the two countries," Wen said.

 

Tanayev reiterated that developing ties with China was his country's consistent policy, saying Kyrgyzstan would work with China to implement the documents signed by the two countries.

 

During his visit to Kyrgyzstan from Sept. 21-23, Wen will attend the third meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) among Prime Ministers from SCO member states.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2004)