'I will cherish this deep friendship forever': Nazarbayev

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a ceremony to award the first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 28, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

"This is my 19th meeting with an old friend of mine, President Xi Jinping, and I will cherish this deep friendship forever," said Nazarbayev.

The 79-year-old resigned as president of Kazakhstan last month and he was in Beijing for the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation as the first president of Kazakhstan. "The insightful speech you gave at the Forum left a deep impression on me and many others. The Chinese side will study and adopt your recommendations," Xi Jinping told Nazarbayev during their meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a ceremony to award the first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 28, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

A special ceremony was arranged on Sunday to honor Nazarbayev who served as the top leader in Kazakhstan for nearly 30 years and visited China 25 times. During the ceremony, a "Friendship Medal" representing the highest honor given by the People's Republic of China to a foreign individual was granted to Nazarbayev. President Xi Jinping helped him put it on in person.

Addressing the ceremony, President Xi Jinping said that Nazarbayev is a statesman with global honor and is also the creator and promoter for the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kazakhstan. He used the word "first" several times in summarizing the bilateral relationship. For example, China and Kazakhstan were the first to solve their historical boundary problems, turning the 1,780 kilometers of boundaries into a friendship belt; the first to deploy cross-border gas and oil pipelines to benefit the two peoples; the first to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, a leapfrog development for bilateral relations. Nazarbayev said the medal shows his efforts in promoting bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership were highly recognized by China.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a ceremony to award the first president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev the Friendship Medal of the People's Republic of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 28, 2019. [Photo: Xinhua]

In 2013, the "Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative" was put forward by President Xi Jinping in Kazakhstan. On Sunday, President Xi said that within the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Kazakhstan have conducted energy cooperation, the achievement and significance of which goes far beyond the bilateral ties as it sets an example for the international community in pursuit of mutually complementary and beneficial development.

Nazarbayev echoed by saying that within the BRI, Kazakhstan has built roads, airports and harbors, which has brought great changes to his country.