China and Kazakhstan

Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a statement in Astana on June 13, agreeing to upgrade the two countries' relationship to an "all-round strategic partnership."

The document said the two countries would strive to deepen pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation and strengthen coordination in a bid to realize common development and prosperity. This would be carried out in line with the China-Kazakhstan Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation as well as other bilateral documents.

The two countries agreed to establish a mechanism of regular meetings between their prime ministers. They also set a target of raising bilateral trade volume to $40 billion by 2015. Trade between China and Kazakhstan totaled $20.4 billion last year.

The two countries agreed to continue expanding energy cooperation and ensure the smooth construction of oil and gas pipelines, the statement said.

Meanwhile, they will deepen cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy as well as in the exploration of alternative energy resources, such as solar power and wind power.

The two countries also agreed to work together in non-resources fields and strengthen collaboration in investment and finance.

SCO Summit

Leaders of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) met in Astana on June 14-15 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the organization's founding and chart a blueprint for its future.

SCO leaders issued a joint communiqué pledging enhanced regional security and economic and cultural cooperation.

The summit approved the SCO's 2011-16 drug control strategy and its implementation plan, the communiqué said. Member states reiterated they would continue to fight against all forms of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as the trafficking of drugs and weapons, other transnational crimes and illegal immigration.

The summit emphasized it was imperative SCO members jointly push the world community to adopt a common standard of behavior on international information security.

It also proposed the SCO's industrialists committee and inter-bank union implement multilateral programs to promote member states' economic and social development while intensifying cooperative financing efforts.

SCO leaders also designated 2011-12 as the SCO's Year of Good Neighborliness and Friendship. Founded on June 15, 2001, the SCO consists of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.