China and Kyrgyzstan resolved their knotty border issue on Tuesday when visiting Premier Wen Jiabao and Nikolai Tanayev, prime minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, signed a protocol on the demarcation of the 1,100-kilometer national boundary after their talks.

The two prime ministers also signed a compendium on bilateral cooperation between 2004 and 2014, setting priorities and outlining more than 100 projects in 18 different areas for the coming decade. Both parties will develop specific implementation measures.

Wen proposed that the two countries increase the number of technology projects and improve the trade structure to promote prosperity in the border areas. In particular, he said, both should work more closely in the realms of trade, communication, ports and tourism

Tanayev said that Kyrgyzstan will work with China and hopes to strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction, energy, investment, border trade, security, culture and education.

The two nations have also signed an agreement to fight terrorism and separatism.

During his three-day stay in Bishkek, which began on Tuesday, Wen will also attend the third meeting of prime ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

The meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

The SCO is an intergovernmental organization founded in Shanghai in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, representing about a quarter of the world's population.

Member states work together to halt all forms of terrorism, separatism, extremism and other cross-border crimes.

The organization also encourages its members to cooperate in other areas of mutual interest, such as politics, trade, economy, defense, environment, science and technology, education, energy, transportation, and finance.

Premier Wen's five-day tour will also take him to Moscow to attend the ninth annual regular meeting between Chinese and Russian prime ministers on Friday.

During the meeting, China and Russia will discuss Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.

Before leaving Beijing, Premier Wen told the Interfax News Agency that China supports Russia's entry because the two nations are strategic cooperative partners and that Russia's WTO accession will benefit both.

"After Russia's entry into the WTO, China-Russia economic and trade relations will gain new strength of growth within the framework of the WTO," Interfax quoted him as saying.

During the past five years, China-Russia trade has been growing at an average rate of 20 percent annually. Two-way trade reached US$15.7 billion last year and is expected to top US$20 billion this year, one year ahead of the target set by leaders of the two countries.

Also during his interview with Interfax, Wen also conveyed his condolences to the victims of the recent terrorist activities in Russia. He said that the Chinese government and people are ready to assist the Russian government and people.

Said Wen, "We believe that under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government, the Russian people will overcome the current difficulties, maintain national stability and security and achieve further progress in economic and social development."

(China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China.org.cn September 22, 2004)