Kazakhstan and China to develop comprehensive strategic partnership
NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on September 11, as he is paying a state visit to China from September 10 to 12. “Today we will sign a Joint statement confirming that Kazakhstan and China will develop a long-term, strategic, comprehensive partnership. This agreement, reached at the highest level, is a solid legal and political basis for our further cooperation,” the President of Kazakhstan stressed as reported by his official website. In his welcoming words, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed that Kazakhstan is a major country in Central Asia and has a great influence in Central Eurasia. “Under the leadership of the First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, your country has achieved impressive success, created a model of development with national specifics. When you became President, you proclaimed the three principles of your policy — continuity, justice and progress. Your goals are to develop the economy, create jobs, combat corruption, and increase the level of social protection. All these meet the aspirations of the people of Kazakhstan. All your undertakings are aimed at it. I wish the friendly people of Kazakhstan well-being and prosperity,” the Chinese leader said. Xi said that China is willing to deepen all-round cooperation with Kazakhstan, seek synergy between the Silk Road Economic Belt and Kazakhstan's Bright Path new economic policy, and strengthen connectivity, Xinhua news agency reported. He also called on the two sides to boost cooperation in industrial capacity and science and technology innovation, increase people-to-people and cultural contacts, and facilitate exchanges at sub-national level. Tokayev said that Kazakhstan is looking forward to cementing high-level exchanges with China, and strengthening pragmatic cooperation in the areas of economy, trade, infrastructure, energy, 5G, science and technology, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges under the framework of the Belt and Road initiative. Following the talks, Tokayev and Xi, among other documents, signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Kazakhstan and the Government of China on the implementation of the cooperation Plan for the connectivity of Kazakhstan’s Nurly Zhol (Bright Path) New Economic Policy and the construction of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt.
