BISHKEK, April 27 -- Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic Edil Baisalov on Friday thanked China for providing medical assistance to Kyrgyz nationals.

During a welcoming ceremony for children who underwent heart surgery in China and returned to their homeland, Baisalov said that the Kyrgyz people will always remember the kindness of the Chinese people.

Kyrgyzstan is ready to continue to strengthen the friendship between the two countries and contribute to the development of Kyrgyz-Chinese relations, Baisalov said.

The ceremony was also attended by Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen, representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ene-Balaga Tirek Foundation of the First Lady of Kyrgyzstan Aigul Japarova, medical workers, relatives and friends of the patients.

Du congratulated the children on their recovery and return to Kyrgyzstan and said that the program fully demonstrates the friendship of the Chinese people toward the Kyrgyz people.

Currently, Chinese-Kyrgyz relations are experiencing a historic high and the two countries have achieved fruitful results in medicine and healthcare cooperation, said the ambassador.

China is willing to work with Kyrgyzstan to build a Chinese-Kyrgyz community with a shared future for the benefit of the two peoples, Du said.

The charity project was carried out within a cooperation framework between Henan Provincial Chest Hospital and the Ene-Balaga Tirek Foundation. Surgeries were performed on 10 children with congenital heart disease.