Kazakhstan and China to sign environmental agreement during President Hu Jintao’s visit in summer

Chinese President Hu Jintao. AP©

During the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Kazakhstan in summer 2011 the two nations are expected to sign a bilateral environment agreement, Kazakhstan Environment Minister Nurgali Ashimov announced today, April 28. “In summer Chinese President Hu Jintao is to arrive in Kazakhstan on an official visit (…) We plan to sign a second environment agreement between the two nations”, Mr. Ashimov said during an on-line conference. During President Nazarbayev’s visit to China in February 2011, the two sides signed an agreement on trans-border rivers, a particularly sensitive issue since it involves China's increased use of water for the growing oil industry in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. President Nazarbayev stressed at the time that trade between the two countries increased to some $20 billion in 2010, a 45 percent increase over 2009 trade figures. China is Kazakhstan's third-largest export market and second-largest source of imports. Hu Jintao will be attending the anniversary SCO summit [to mark the 10th anniversary of the Organization] to be held in Astana June 15. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.

During the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Kazakhstan in summer 2011 the two nations are expected to sign a bilateral environment agreement, Kazakhstan Environment Minister Nurgali Ashimov announced today, April 28. “In summer Chinese President Hu Jintao is to arrive in Kazakhstan on an official visit (…) We plan to sign a second environment agreement between the two nations”, Mr. Ashimov said during an on-line conference. During President Nazarbayev’s visit to China in February 2011, the two sides signed an agreement on trans-border rivers, a particularly sensitive issue since it involves China's increased use of water for the growing oil industry in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. President Nazarbayev stressed at the time that trade between the two countries increased to some $20 billion in 2010, a 45 percent increase over 2009 trade figures. China is Kazakhstan's third-largest export market and second-largest source of imports. Hu Jintao will be attending the anniversary SCO summit [to mark the 10th anniversary of the Organization] to be held in Astana June 15. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental mutual-security organization which was founded in 2001 in Shanghai by the leaders of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Except for Uzbekistan, the other countries had been members of the Shanghai Five, founded in 1996; after the inclusion of Uzbekistan in 2001, the members renamed the organization.