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President Xi Jinping called on Monday for heightened friendship and further alignment in development strategies between China and Kazakhstan as the two nations marked the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

In messages exchanged with Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first president of Kazakhstan, and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Xi stressed the need for the two nations to take their bilateral permanent comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level.

In his message to Nazarbayev, Xi said bilateral ties have kept pace with the times and maintained robust growth momentum over the past three decades, making the relationship an example of good neighborliness and win-win cooperation between neighboring nations.

He commended Nazarbayev, who in 2019 was awarded the Friendship Medal－China's highest honor available to foreigners－for firmly upholding a friendly policy toward China and making outstanding contributions to the growth of bilateral relations and the joint building of the Belt and Road.

Xi called Nazarbayev "my old friend", saying that he cherished the good working relationship and profound personal friendship with him.

In his message to Tokayev, Xi said that the two nations, as friendly neighbors and permanent comprehensive strategic partners, have kept bilateral relations at a high level, continuously deepened political mutual trust and conducted increasingly closer exchanges at various levels over the past 30 years.

China will, as always, support Kazakhstan in following a path of development that suits its national conditions, he said.

He expressed his readiness to work with the Kazakh president in using the 30th anniversary of bilateral relations as an opportunity to bring more benefits to the two nations and peoples.

Nazarbayev noted that China was one of the first nations to recognize the independence of Kazakhstan, and the two countries established a bilateral permanent comprehensive strategic partnership on the basis of mutual trust and respect.

Kazakhstan is willing to work with China to achieve more progress in bilateral cooperation in various fields, he said.

Tokayev said in his message that the two nations have set an example for the international community in terms of developing state-to-state relations, and this has become an important factor for stability and prosperity in the Eurasian region.

After having already resolved their boundary issues, the two nations will jointly develop their border areas as the bridge of bilateral friendship and solidarity, he said, adding that he is willing to make joint efforts with Xi for the further growth of bilateral relations.

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