Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Kazakh counterpart agreed Monday that their two countries will develop an all-round strategic partnership.

The two sides also agreed to double bilateral trade volume by 2015 and hold regular meetings between their prime ministers.

Hu and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev held talks Monday afternoon on bilateral links as well as major regional and international issues of common concern.

The heads of state have reached important consensus, Hu told a press briefing after the talks.

During the talks, Hu said that since the two countries established diplomatic relations nearly 20 years ago, China and Kazakhstan have resolved border problems left over by history, signed the China-Kazakhstan Good-Neighborly Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, forged a strategic partnership and formulated China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Strategy for the 21st Century.

Bilateral relations have seen rapid growth in a comprehensive way especially since July 2005 when the two nations forged a strategic partnership, he said, adding that bilateral cooperation in various areas has also entered a brand new development stage.

Hu put forward a six-point proposal for the development of China-Kazakhstan all-round strategic partnership.

Firstly, he said the two countries should become sincere and trustworthy partners in political cooperation.

Political mutual trust is the cornerstone of China-Kazakhstan all-round strategic partnership, he said.

The two sides should maintain contact at all levels and in various areas, continuously enhance mutual understanding and trust and strengthen mutual support on issues concerning each other's core interests, he added.

Hu said China will, as always, support Kazakhstan in choosing its own way of development according to its national conditions and will also support the country's efforts in safeguarding national sovereignty and security and promoting national development.

Secondly, Hu said the two countries should forge a mutually beneficial and win-win partnership in trade and economic cooperation.

He said the two countries shall activate the mechanism of regular meetings between the two countries' prime ministers at a proper time so as to give full play to the role of China-Kazakhstan cooperation committee and its sub-committees.

Hu also expressed the hope that the two nations could expand their trade to 40 billion U.S. dollars by 2015.

The two sides should strengthen cooperation in clean energy and new energy, including nuclear energy, solar energy and wind energy, Hu said.

Meanwhile, he said China supports Kazakhstan's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and encourages cooperation between companies of the two countries, Hu said.

He added that China is ready to provide financial support for large-scale cooperation projects that interest both sides, expressing the hope that Kazakhstan could offer facilitation to Chinese companies that invest and start up businesses in the country.

Thirdly, Hu said the two countries should become partners in cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

He said China is ready to strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan in the areas of culture, education, tourism, health and media, adding that China will continue to increase scholarship quota for Kazakh students.

Fourthly, Hu said the two countries should also become partners in science and technology cooperation.

He said China encourages close communication and exchanges between scientific research institutes and hi-tech enterprises of the two countries and expressed the hope that the two sides would give full play to each other's advantages and strengthen cooperation in such areas as aviation and space.

Fifthly, Hu said China and Kazakhstan should continue to be good partners that support each other in security cooperation.

He said China is willing to join hands with Kazakhstan to combat the "three forces" of extremism, separatism and terrorism and organized crime such as drug trafficking.

Finally, Hu said that China and Kazakhstan should continue to be close partners that support each other in the international arena.

He said China is willing to maintain close communication and coordination with Kazakhstan on major international and regional issues, and continue to enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization so as to work together to tackle regional and global challenges and jointly promote world peace, stability and prosperity.

Nazarbayev, for his part, said that bilateral ties have witnessed remarkable progress and have reached a new height.

He said that the two heads of state have exchanged frequent visits over the years, which played a key role in promoting relations between the two countries.

Nazarbayev also said trade and economic cooperation between the two countries has witnessed rapid expansion, with their trade volume hitting a new high, and that China has become a vital trading partner of Kazakhstan.

He said that marked achievements have been scored in oil and gas cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, as well as in non-resource areas.

During the talks, Nazarbayev said he agreed with President Hu's view on developing an all-round strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan will continue to adhere to the policy of developing friendly relations with China, said Nazarbayev, adding that Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to develop the all-round strategic partnership.

He urged the two countries to enhance political mutual trust and maintain cooperation in a wide range of fields such as energy, transportation, infrastructure, science and technology and culture.

The two sides should enhance security cooperation and strengthen coordination on international and regional issues, said Nazarbayev.

After the talks, the two leaders signed a joint statement on developing an all-round strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan.

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2011)