China and Kazakhstan said on Monday that they would strengthen security cooperation and pay close attention to the Afghan situation.

The statement was made in a joint declaration issued during the China visit of President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is here for the upcoming 4th CICA summit to be held in Shanghai in east China and a state visit at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi held talks with Nazarbayev in Shanghai on Monday afternoon.

The two sides noted that terrorism, separatism, extremism and transnational organized crimes, including illegal trafficking of weapons, ammunition, narcotics, psychotropic drugs and economic crimes, have posed severe threats to security and stability in the two countries, the declaration said.

The two countries will work closely within the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), and other international organizations, it said.

The two defense departments will enhance communication and regularly report border situations, hold joint exercise and prevent proliferation of small arms, according to the declaration.

China and Kazakhstan will support close communication on cyber security, cooperate on web surveillance to prevent cyber crimes that damage national security and crack down upon trafficking of drug, guns and ammunition, it said.

The two countries will also work to maintain stability on the border and strengthen information sharing on transnational crimes, the declaration said.

Paying close attention to the Afghan situation, the two countries support the international community to work closely with the Afghan government to find a political solution and promote peaceful reconstruction there, the declaration said.

It also said the two sides welcome the presidential election in Afghanistan on April 5 and are willing to play a constructive role in promoting peace, stability and development in Afghanistan and the region.

Kazakhstan backs China to hold the Fourth Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan in August, it said.

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2014)