Kyrgyzstan President Atambayev says “China is a trusty friend”

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev (R) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, July 15, 2013. (Photo : Xinhua)

Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev said here on Monday that Kyrgyzstan regards China as a trusty friend and firmly supports China’s crackdown on “three evil forces” of terrorism, separatism and extremism.

Atambayev made the remark when meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the parliament building. Appreciating China’s long-term assistance to Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz leader noted that Kyrgyzstan-China relations have grown rapidly in recent years.

Kyrgyzstan is eagerly expecting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit and attendance to the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in September in Kyrgyzstan, said Atambayev, adding Kyrgyzstan is willing to take the opportunity to boost its cooperation with China and lift bilateral ties to a new level.

Wang said that the relations between China and Kyrgyzstan have withstood various tests over the past 21 years after the establishment of diplomatic ties, and kept a momentum of sound development.

China and Kyrgyzstan are good neighbors and partners, and the Chinese government will continue to follow its good-neighborhood and friendship policy toward Kyrgyzstan, and to support Kyrgyzstan’s choice of its own development path and its measures to maintain stability and economic development, Wang said.

Also on Monday, Wang held talks with his Kyrgyz counterpart Erlan Abdyldaev at Kyrgyzstan’s foreign ministry and the two sides reached important consensus on boosting bilateral cooperation in various fields. <Xinhua/NEWSis>