China and Kazakhstan signed an agreement in Astana on Thursday
outlining the principles for building and operating the
China-Kazakhstan natural gas pipeline.
Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and Kazak Prime Minister Karim Masimov
were present at the signing ceremony in the Kazak capital.
The China National Petroleum Cooperation and the Kazakhstan
National Petroleum and Natural Gas Co. signed the contract.
Prior to the signing ceremony, the two officials held talks on
efforts to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields,
including politics, economy and trade, investment, energy,
telecommunications, transportation, finance, science-technology,
humanism and security.
The China-Kazakhstan strategic partnership has entered a new
stage of robust development, said Wu, who is here for the fourth
meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee.
Mutual beneficial cooperation in various fields has made
remarkable achievement since the committee was established, and the
fourth meeting will implement the agreements reached by the two
sides with a view to bringing the cooperation to a higher level,
she said.
Wu said China is ready to closely cooperate with Kazakhstan,
enact tangible measures, take advantage of the cooperation
committee and strive to implement the agreements in a bid to
promote China-Kazakhstan relations.
For his part, Masimov said that the two countries have shown
mutual understanding and mutual support on many significant issues
and great importance is attached to developing bilateral ties.
The Kazak side would like to maintain good momentum of exchange
at all levels with China, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in
all fields and continuously push forward the Kazakhstan-China
strategic partnership, Masimov said.
(Xinhua News Agency November 9, 2007)
