Chinese, Kyrgyz leaders discuss economic cooperation projects
BISHKEK. Sept 11 (Interfax) - Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who is in Bishkek on a state visit, and Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev are optimistic about their talks in Bishkek on Wednesday.
"Our talks were successful and effective," Atambayev told the media.
"Special emphasis was placed on trade and economic cooperation, and on projects to attract Chinese investment to our national economy. We also discussed electricity, telecommunications, infrastructure and other promising projects," he said.
Xi in turn said that, "the talks yielded rather good results. We think that conditions are in place for enhancing the status of our relations to that of a strategic partnership, which will usher in new goals and new development tasks," he said.
"A large package of agreements was signed. We will instruct our ministries to work on their implementation," Xi said.
Eight agreements were signed after the talks in Bishkek and a joint declaration was adopted.
Kyrgyzstan's Economics Minister Temir Sariyev said the economic cooperation agreements signed are worth about $3 billion.
Kyrgyzstan and China signed an agreement on cooperation for the construction and operation of a Kyrgyzstan-China gas pipeline, he said.
"The construction of a gas pipeline to link Turkmenistan and China across Kyrgyzstan will draw $1.4 billion in Chinese investment. The gas pipeline will be put into service by 2017," Sariyev said.
