Chinese premier meets Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Tajik PMs

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Friday met with Kyrgyz, Kazakh and Tajik prime ministers on the sidelines of the 12th prime ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent.[Special coverage]

When meeting with Kyrgyz Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev, Li said China and Kyrgyzstan are friendly neighbors, and their ties have entered a new era with the establishment of a strategic partnership.

China will work with Kyrgyzstan to strengthen cooperation in such areas as energy, transport infrastructure and animal husbandry, boost common development and push forward China-Kyrgyzstan ties for the benefits of both peoples, Li said.

Hailing the Kyrgyzstan-China relations, the Kyrgyz prime minister said Kyrgyzstan appreciates China's support and is willing to cooperate with China in such areas as highway, railway and water resources.

He also invited Chinese enterprises to invest in Kyrgyzstan and promised to work with China in cracking down on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism.

During his meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov, Li said both China and Kazakhstan are major developing countries, sharing broad prospect in bilateral ties.

Li urged the two countries to push forward practical cooperation on energy, finance, farming and animal husbandry.

He also highlighted the role of the bilateral cooperation committee in promoting a balanced trade and comprehensive development of bilateral ties.

Akhmetov said Kazakhstan supports Li's proposal at the SCO prime ministers' meeting of speeding up inter-connectivity in the region.

He said Kazakhstan will work closely with China and give full play to the regular meetings between prime ministers of the two sides to implement major projects so as to improve the well-being of peoples in the region.

When meeting with Tajik Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda, Li congratulated him on the establishment of the new government.

Li said as a strategic partner of Tajikistan, China supports the country's choice of development path and its endeavor to safeguard national sovereignty, security and stability.

China is willing to deepen cooperation with Tajikistan on energy, transport and agriculture, and lift mutual trust and bilateral cooperation to a higher level, Li said.

Hailing the fruitful cooperation with China, Rasulzoda said it has boosted his country's economic development and people's livelihood.

Tajikistan welcomes investment from China and is willing to promote bilateral cooperation in a bid to enrich the strategic partnership between the two sides, said Rasulzoda.