Chinese President Hu Jintao yesterday urged Central Asian countries to work together to enhance cooperation so as to speed up regional integration and promote economic and social development in the region.

"Security and stability in Central Asia, after all, depend on the joint efforts by countries in the region," Hu said at a meeting with Uzbekistan President Islam Karimov in Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Central Asian nations will find for themselves development paths that best suit them, Hu said.

The two leaders are here for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which is scheduled today.

China and Uzbekistan are major forces in maintaining regional stability and have witnessed fruitful security cooperation, Hu said.

China hopes law enforcement agencies of the two countries will work more closely both in bilateral terms and within the SCO framework to safeguard peace in the two countries and in the region as well, the Chinese president said.

Hu hailed the development of relations between China and Uzbekistan, saying the two countries have deepened mutual trust, cooperated closely on the international arena and boosted regional exchanges.

Uzbekistan is an important trade partner for China in Central Asia and China is satisfied with the achievements in bilateral trade and economic cooperation, he said.

China would enhance cooperation with Uzbekistan in such fields as economy, trade, energy, natural resources, transport, telecommunication, agriculture and infrastructure, he said.

Karimov, for his part, hailed the cooperation between the two countries, saying the bilateral ties have developed rapidly and achieved fruitful results.

Uzbekistan hopes to deepen the friendly relations in an all-round manner and expand the mutually beneficial cooperation, he said.

Karimov also said the two countries should strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, energy and mining.

Security cooperation is very important for both countries and the crackdown on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism conforms to the common interests of both nations, Karimov said. He pledged to further promote cooperation with China in this regard.