MADRID — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi called for enhancing mutual support and trust between the two countries during their meeting on Dec 15 on the sidelines of the 14th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM).

Wang said this year witnesses great progress in China-Kazakhstan relations. First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev attended the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in April. President Xi Jinping awarded Nazarbayev the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China.

Wang also noted that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to China in September, and the two heads of state decided to lift the bilateral relationship to a permanent comprehensive strategic partnership.

Under the high-level strategic guidance, mutual trust between China and Kazakhstan reached a new height, and bilateral relations have set new targets, he said.

Wang said China is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with Kazakhstan, continue to take a lead in jointly building the Belt and Road, and steadily advance cooperation in production capacity.

China fully supports Kazakhstan in taking the next presidency of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and hopes to work with Kazakhstan to further develop the CICA in order to safeguard regional security and stability.

Wang said that in response to attempts to drive a wedge between the two countries and smear their cooperation, President Tokayev has resolutely denounced the groundless accusations and elaborated Kazakhstan's stance on issues concerning China's Xinjiang in a recent interview.

"The two sides should continue to support each other, and provide reliable support for each other's stability and development," said Wang.

For his part, Tleuberdi said the two countries enjoy a long history of friendship, and the close friendship between the two heads of state made important contributions to the development of bilateral relations.

No problems exist between China and Kazakhstan, and the two countries always understand and support each other on issues of mutual concern, said Tleuberdi.

Kazakhstan supports China's stances and measures on issues concerning Xinjiang, he said.

Kazakhstan is willing to maintain high-level exchanges with China, advance cooperation with China, especially in production capacity, said Tleuberdi, adding that Chinese companies are welcome to invest in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan attaches great importance to and actively takes part in the joint construction of the Belt and Road, said Tleuberdi, noting that Kazakhstan hopes to become a key passageway linking China and Europe.

Kazakhstan hopes to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the CICA, said Tleuberdi.