习近平会见阿塞拜疆总统阿利耶夫

当地时间7月3日下午，国家主席习近平在阿斯塔纳出席上海合作组织峰会前会见阿塞拜疆总统阿利耶夫。新华社记者 岳月伟 摄

新华社阿斯塔纳7月3日电（记者赵嫣　陆佳飞）当地时间7月3日下午，国家主席习近平在阿斯塔纳出席上海合作组织峰会前会见阿塞拜疆总统阿利耶夫。

习近平指出，中国和阿塞拜疆是真诚互信的好朋友、平等互利的好伙伴。中阿关系始终健康稳定发展，两国合作取得丰硕成果，战略内涵更加丰富。我们将双边关系定位提升到战略伙伴关系，这是新定位也是新起点。双方要继续相互支持，更好造福两国人民。

习近平强调，中方坚定支持阿方维护国家主权、独立和领土完整，支持阿方走符合本国国情的发展道路。双方要推动高质量共建“一带一路”，深化贸易、投资、油气、光伏等领域合作，加强互联互通，建设好跨里海国际运输走廊，保障中欧班列健康稳定运营。双方要在教育、文化、旅游、青年、地方等领域开展更多交流，巩固中阿友好的民意基础。中方支持阿方办好《联合国气候变化框架公约》第二十九次缔约方大会，愿同阿方共同倡导平等有序的世界多极化和普惠包容的经济全球化，促进世界和平、稳定、发展。

当地时间7月3日下午，国家主席习近平在阿斯塔纳出席上海合作组织峰会前会见阿塞拜疆总统阿利耶夫。新华社记者 岳月伟 摄

阿利耶夫表示，阿中两国是好伙伴，两国各部门、各层级保持密切交往，双边贸易额不断增加，在国际组织中坚定支持彼此维护独立主权和领土完整。今天我们发表联合声明，共同宣布建立阿中战略伙伴关系，这对两国关系发展意义重大。阿方坚定恪守一个中国原则，坚定支持中国实现国家统一大业，这是历史大势，没有任何势力可以阻挡。阿方愿同中方加强团结合作，挖掘潜力，在共建“一带一路”框架内，加强经贸、投资、新能源、人文等领域合作，密切在上海合作组织等框架内协作，反对外部干涉，维护地区安全稳定。

双方发表《中华人民共和国和阿塞拜疆共和国关于建立战略伙伴关系的联合声明》。

双方相关部门签署关于共建“一带一路”、互联互通等领域合作文件。

蔡奇、王毅等参加会见。

Xi says China, Azerbaijan upgrade bilateral relations to strategic partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

ASTANA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- China and Azerbaijan have upgraded bilateral relations to strategic partnership, which is a new positioning and a new starting point, Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Wednesday when meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Xi noted that the two sides should continue supporting each other in a bid to bring more benefits to the two peoples.

China and Azerbaijan are good friends with sincerity and mutual trust, as well as good partners with equality and mutual benefit, and bilateral relations have been developing healthily and steadily, with fruitful cooperation and richer strategic connotations, he said.

China firmly supports Azerbaijan in safeguarding national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions, Xi stressed.

The two sides should promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepen cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, oil and gas, and photovoltaics, strengthen connectivity, advance the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, and ensure the healthy and stable operation of China-Europe freight trains, he said.

The two sides should also carry out more exchanges in such areas as education, culture and tourism, as well as between the youths of the two nations and at the sub-national level, and consolidate the public foundation of China-Azerbaijan friendship, he said.

China supports Azerbaijan in hosting the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Xi said.

China stands ready to work with Azerbaijan to advocate an equal and orderly world multipolarity, and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote world peace, stability and development, he said.

For his part, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan and China are good partners.

The two countries have maintained close exchanges at various departments and levels, witnessed increasing bilateral trade volume, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in international organizations, he said.

The two sides jointly announced the establishment of the Azerbaijan-China strategic partnership in a joint statement, which is of great significance to the development of bilateral relations, he said.

Azerbaijan firmly abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China's great cause of national reunification, which is the trend of history and no force can stop it, he said.

Azerbaijan is willing to strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China, tap the potential, enhance cooperation in such areas as economy, trade, investment, new energy and culture within the framework of Belt and Road cooperation, closely collaborate within the SCO and other frameworks, oppose external interference and safeguard regional security and stability, said Aliyev.

The two sides issued the joint statement on establishing the strategic partnership.

Relevant departments of the two sides signed cooperation documents in such areas as Belt and Road cooperation and connectivity. ■

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ahead of the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Astana, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)