On May 28 and 29, 2003, President Hu Jintao, who is in Moscow attending the third summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, met separately with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev, Uzbek President Islam Karimov and Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov, and exchanged views with them on the bilateral relations, the regional situation and organization building of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

In his meeting with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev, Hu spoke highly of the friendly relations between the two countries. China and Kyrgyzstan have high mutual trust politically and have supported each other on major issues such as state sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, adding that cooperation in economy, trade and transportation between the two countries has been expanding steadily. He stressed that the new generation of Chinese leadership will continue to work for the development of the friendly good-neighborly relationship with Kyrgyzstan and join hands with the Kyrgyz side in conscientiously implementing the spirit of the Treaty of Good-neighborly and Friendly Cooperation signed between the two nations, with a view to promoting the development of China- Kyrgyzstan relations. Hu also pledged China's support for the construction of the roads connecting China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Akayev said the ancient Silk Road connecting China and Kyrgyzstan had laid a solid foundation for the bilateral relations to develop generation after generation. We treasure our friendship with the Chinese people and wish to strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation with China in all aspects. Kyrgyzstan would work hard to make its long border with China the bond of good-neighborly friendship and close cooperation and revitalize the ancient Silk Road.

During his meeting with Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Hu said that Uzbekistan is China's important partner in Central Asia. It is in the basic interest of the peoples of both countries and is conducive to peace and stability to keep long-term stable friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Despite vicissitudes in the international situation, the Chinese government will, as always, stick to China-Uzbekistan friendship. We are fully confident of the future of China-Uzbekistan relations.

Karimov voiced his admiration for the pattern and success of China's development. He said China sticks to principles and is playing an increasingly important role in international affairs. Relations between China and Central Asian countries stood the test of times and display broad prospects. It is an important part of Uzbekistan's foreign policy to continuously strengthen cooperation with China. The two countries will score new achievements in cooperation in the fields of joint ventures and transportation.

In his meeting with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov, Hu spoke highly of Rakhmonov's important contribution to the development of Sino-Tajik relations in the past years. He pointed out that the friendship, good-neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries have seen sound and stable development since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Tajikistan 10 years ago. The signing of a supplementary agreement on the border between China and Tajikistan last year marked a successful solution to the historical border issue. The new generation of China's collective central leadership will continue to be friendly with the neighboring countries and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields to push the Sino-Tajik relations to a new level.

Rakhmonov said the friendship and cooperation between Tajikistan and China are based on mutual respect and understanding. There are no more disputes between the two countries after the border issue was jointly solved and therefore the bilateral ties will see long-term, stable and sound development. He said that the great achievements made by China are very significant not only for China itself, but also for the peace and development of Central Asia and the world as a whole.