ASTANA — Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Kazakh counterpart Erlan Idrissov on May 21, with both sides vowing to strengthen bilateral ties.

China and Kazakhstan are comprehensive strategic partners and important neighboring countries to each other that enjoy a traditional friendship, said Wang.

China highly values its relations with Kazakhstan and consistently regards Kazakhstan as one of the priorities in its neighborhood diplomacy, he said.

Both sides should maintain strategic communications, deepen strategic coordination, protect strategic interests in a bid to further build the China-Kazakhstan community of common interest and community of common destiny, he said.

The Chinese side is willing to work with Kazakhstan to fully prepare for the high-level communication this year, which will guide the bilateral relationship to continue its healthy and stable development, he said.

Both sides will further their efforts in joining China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative with Kazakhstan’s “Nurly Zhol” new economic policy, launch joint work groups as early as possible, draw up road maps for cooperation, and design cooperation programs and outlines, Wang said.

The Chinese foreign minister also called on both sides to combine the need of Kazakhstan and the capabilities of China, advance industrial capacity cooperation on an equal, mutual-beneficial and voluntary basis to realize a win-win relationship.

Both countries shall deepen their practical cooperation in such fields as connectivity, agriculture, investment and bordering regions, said Wang.

Moreover, the two sides shall expand cultural, educational and tourist exchanges in order to strengthen friendship between the two peoples.

China will give great support to Kazakhstan’s effort to successfully host the World Expo in Astana in 2017. Both sides shall strengthen coordination and cooperation within such frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, in order to safeguard regional peace, stability and development, he said.

Idrissov said Kazakhstan and China are sincere and good friends. Kazakhstan highly values the significance of China’s Silk Road Economic Belt proposal to regional development, and is greatly satisfied with the fruitful industrial cooperation between the two countries.

Kazakhstan cherishes its relationship with China, he said, stressing that his country is ready to keep communication with China at high and other levels.

In addition, Kazakhstan stands ready to work with China to join the “Nurly Zhol” and Silk Road Economic Belt proposal, to expand cooperation in such fields as industrial capacity, infrastructure, agriculture, transportation and trade, and to enhance people-to-people exchanges and keep close coordination on international and regional affairs.