Kyrgyz president, Chinese PM discuss energy, transport projects

URUMQI. Sept 2 (Interfax) - During his working visit to Urumqi (China) Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao discussed bilateral cooperation and implementation of joint projects.

Atambayev and Wen discussed the project for construction of a railway linking China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, cooperation in the electric power industry, in particular, construction of the Datka-Kemin transmission line and a project for construction of a transmission line from Kyrgyzstan to China, as well as cooperation on oil and natural gas, Kyrgyz Acting Minister of Economy and Antimonopoly Policies Temir Sariev told Interfax on Sunday.

"China is keen to build an oil pipeline (from Kazakhstan) through the northern part of Kyrgyzstan and build a natural gas pipeline (from Turkmenistan) through the southern part of the republic," Sariev said.

Speaking at a Chinese-Eurasian economic cooperation forum held in Urumqi on Sunday as part of the China-Eurasia Expo exhibition, the Kyrgyz president outlined main areas of cooperation between the two countries.

"The most obvious potential for the Kyrgyz-Chinese cooperation lies in the sectors of strategic importance both for our republic and for the Central Asian countries in general: trade, energy and transport," said Atambayev, urging "to step up the work of implementing mutually beneficial regional projects."

"Kyrgyzstan actively supports the development of all existing and new itineraries and routes, transit liberalization, which is quite an important problem for the majority of the Central Asian countries, which have no direct access to commercial sea ports," Atambayev said.

"In this sense, the role of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project is particularly important," he added.

Also, Kyrgyzstan is calling "for active energy cooperation between our countries," the president said, pointing to Kyrgyzstan's energy potential.

"The increasingly evident energy crisis is forcing countries to seriously think about regional energy security and look for reliable ways of exiting the current situation in this sector. The resumption of work under a project for interconnection of the power grids of the regional countries is becoming extremely important," Atambayev said.

As for Kyrgyzstan's investment appeal, "today the country has formed a legal base granting the necessary guarantees and privileges to foreign investors," he said. "Today Kyrgyzstan is open to investors and ready for transparent cooperation, and we urge everyone to take up this wonderful opportunity for general development, prosperity and enrichment," the Kyrgyz president said.

kk

(Our editorial staff can be reached at eng.editors@interfax.ru)