Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) shakes hands with Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar July 6, 2005 in Astana of Kazakhstan.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and his Mongolian counterpart Nambaryn Enkhbayar said Wednesday in Astana that both countries are ready to make joint efforts to steadily push forward bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

During their meeting, Hu said it is China's strategic choice to develop a good-neighborly and mutually trustful partnership with Mongolia, and that China is willing to always be Mongolia's good neighbor of peaceful co-existence, good friend with mutual trust and good partner of common development.

As long as both sides stick to the policy of good-neighborly friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and work to promote common development, relations between the two countries will always remain vigorous and be full of vitality, he stressed.

Since forging diplomatic ties 50 years ago, Hu said, China and Mongolia have witnessed a continuous development in bilateral ties and scored important achievements in their cooperation of mutual benefit.

Both countries have also seen their bilateral economic and trade cooperation grow steadily, cooperation in resources exploitation and infrastructure construction set in motion, and exchanges and cooperation in such fields as culture, education and public health becoming increasingly active, he added.

China welcomes Mongolia's participation in activities and cooperation within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and supports its bid for a more active role in regional cooperation, the Chinese president said.

For his part, Enkhbayar said Hu's visit to Mongolia in 2003 has given a big impetus to the development of bilateral relations, which he believes have broad prospects of growth.

Enkhbayar shared Hu's viewpoint on how to develop bilateral ties and called on both sides to further promote economic and trade cooperation, especially on big railway and mining projects.

Hailing bilateral cooperation in education, science, technology and culture a big success, Enkhbayar said his government will encourage more youths to study in China.

Both sides also discussed regional and international issues of common concern.

Later on Wednesday, Hu, who is in the Kazakh capital for a state visit and the SCO summit, will head for Gleneagles, Britain, to attend the G8 plus five summit slated for July 7.

Source: Xinhua