China and Kazakhstan said in Astana on Wednesday they will deepen energy cooperation.

In a joint communique signed by visiting Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the two leaders vowed to promote the energy sectors of their countries as part of a bid to deepen cooperation.

It coincides with the growing interest of both sides to enlarge and deepen energy cooperation, the communique said.

The completion of the Sino-Kazakh Oil Pipeline linking Atasu to Alataw Pass on Dec. 15, 2005 symbolizes the new phase of energy cooperation between the two countries, it said.

The two leaders also spoke highly of the fruits yielded in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

They vowed to expand trade and mutual investment and strengthen cooperation in such fields as the economy and trade, energy, transportation, telecommunications and finance.

The Chinese side will continue to support the active measures adopted by Kazakhstan to carry out its industrial development strategy and enhance its economic competitiveness, according to the communique.

At the invitation of Nazarbayev, the Chinese vice president arrived in the Kazakh capital on Monday for a four-day official visit to Kazakhstan.

Source: Xinhua