Kazakhstan-China relations and the two countries' cooperation within the
framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are in a very good
shape, said Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In an interview with Chinese media ahead of the June 15 summit of the SCO,
Nazarbayev said relations with China have made great headway, including the
signing of a good-neighborly treaty of friendship and cooperation in 2002, the
thorough settlement of border issues, and the advancements in economic and
cultural cooperation.
The bilateral trade volume last year reached 6 billion U.S. dollars, he
added, expressing the hope to raise the trade volume to 10 billion dollars.
The president also highlighted the two countries' cooperation within the
framework of SCO, saying their active cooperation covers all the priorities of
the bilateral ties.
"Economic cooperation is becoming the driving force of an all-around
development of Kazakh-Chinese relations," said Nazarbayev.
The 1,000-km Atasu-Alataw Pass oil pipeline has started to carry oil to China
and the two sides are discussing a crossborder natural gas pipeline, the
president said, adding that the two sides are also studying the feasibility of
setting up oil and gas joint ventures in Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, the president introduced achievements made in his country,
mentioning the country's 9-10 percent economic growth rate and the over 40
billion dollars of foreign investments.
Founded in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO also comprises Kyrgyzstan, Russia,
Tajikistan and Uzbekistan with Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India as observers.