Chinese President proposes measures to boost co-op with Kazakhstan
ASTANA. June 15. KAZINFORM Chinese President Hu Jintao met Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov here Tuesday morning and raised a six-point proposal to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
According to Xinhua, Hu, who is on a state visit here and to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), said the two countries should strengthen planning and guidance first.
Secondly, Hu said the two countries should strengthen trade, investment and financial cooperation, with the target of increasing bilateral trade volume to 40 billion U.S. dollars by 2015. He said they should look at establishing a free trade zone agreement, encourage and protect mutual investment, push forward currency swaps and trade settlement in local currencies, and develop more cooperative projects.
Thirdly, Hu said they should deepen cooperation in energy, safely operating existing oil and natural gas pipelines and constructing new China-Kazakhstan pipelines.
Fourthly, Hu said the two countries should also cooperate in non-resource based industries. China was willing to cooperate with Kazakhstan in hi-tech, energy-efficient and environment-friendly industries, he said.
Hu's fifth measure was to expand cooperation in transportation through construction of highways, railways and cyber cables across the region.
Finally, Hu said the two countries should also deepen agricultural cooperation.
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