President Hu Jintao
met with his counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in the Kazakhstani
capital of Astana today and signed a joint statement on
establishing and developing a strategic partnership between
them.
"In view of profound changes in regional and international
situations, to promote good-neighborliness, friendship and mutually
beneficial cooperation, the two countries decide to establish and
develop strategic partnership," said the statement, stressing that
it was not directed against any third country.
Both sides agreed to give full support and provide whatever was
needed to ensure completion of the Atasu-Alataw Pass oil pipeline
as scheduled, speed up a pilot study on a natural gas pipeline
between them and start construction of a cooperation center on the
border as soon as possible.
They committed to improving their trade and investment
environment, creating favorable conditions for banks to operate on
each other's soil, exchanging information on natural disasters and
protecting water resources in shared rivers.
In the statement, China supported Kazakhstan's bid to join the
WTO while Kazakhstan reaffirmed its one-China policy.
The?two countries?agreed to enhance cooperation for
peace and development in the region and pledged efforts within the
framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in the fight
against terrorism, separatism and extremism.
On UN reform, they maintained that attention should be given to
the representation of developing countries and more participation
by them in UN decision-making.
UN reform must be comprehensive and cover a wide range of areas
and all resolutions on this important issue require broad-based
consensus through democratic consultation, the joint statement
said.
(Xinhua News Agency July 4, 2005)