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Full coverage: Premier Li Visits Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Russia

by Chen Yao, Nurzhan Kasmalieva

BISHKEK, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Kyrgyzstan will give a powerful impetus to further development of Kyrgyzstan-China relations and enhance cooperation between the two countries, Kyrgyz parliament speaker said here in a recent interview.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

During an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Speaker Chynybay Tursunbekov said that the constant maintenance of political contacts between the two countries creates conditions for strengthening mutual political trust and trade and economic cooperation.

The official visit of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang to Kyrgyzstan will "give a powerful impetus to further development of Kyrgyz-Chinese relations and deepen cooperation between the two countries," he said.

"Since the establishment of diplomatic relations (in January 1992), Kyrgyzstan and China have built a truly good-neighborly and friendly relationship, characterized by equality, mutual respect and trust," said the speaker.

"They have also established mutually beneficial cooperation in political, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres," he added.

According to Tursunbekov, trade and economic cooperation between the two countries is successful and fruitful, marking one of the main components of bilateral strategic partnership which was upgraded in 2013 during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Kyrgyzstan.

The main areas of cooperation lie in infrastructure, transport, energy, mining, inter-regional and cross-border cooperation, he said.

BELT & ROAD INITIATIVE

The Kyrgyz congressman considers China's Belt and Road Initiative meeting all the fundamental interests of the international community.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the aim of building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.

"One Belt, One Road, first of all, is one of the ways leading to common development, prosperity, cooperation of countries along the Silk Road," he said.

Tursunbekov also discussed the concept of the Silk Road Economic Belt. He said that this concept opens up opportunities for Kyrgyzstan to promote infrastructure and energy projects, and to establish cooperation with China in the field of clean renewable energy.

"We are ready to work on pairing the initiative of the Silk Road Economic Belt with the development strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as the Eurasian Economic Union," he said.

Tursunbekov expressed interest in regional cooperation between Kyrgyz and Chinese provinces. He cited as an example the successful development of trade and economic relations between Kyrgyzstan and northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"We receive many investment programs from Urumqi city (capital of Xinjiang). Urumqi and Bishkek are twin cities," he said.

Such interregional cooperation is in the spirit of the Silk Road Economic Belt, he said.

The speaker, who came back from China after attending the forum "The Party and the World Dialogue 2016", which was held in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing on Oct. 14-15, said the forum was successful.

"The main purpose of the forum was to discuss ways of innovation in global economic governance," he said.

Tursunbekov emphasized the key role of China's Communist Party in the development of the Chinese economy.

"It can raise the living condition of its people from average prosperity to higher one," he said.