Kyrgyzstan is looking forward to closer ties with China as the development of the world's second largest economy provides more opportunities to its neighboring countries, said Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Atambaev said he is expecting to have personal contact with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose upcoming visit to Kyrgyzstan will make possible the first meeting between the two leaders and is sure to uplift China-Kyrgyzstan relations to a new stage.

The Kyrgyz president pointed out that the China-Kyrgyzstan cooperation is given great importance in Kyrgyzstan's "national strategy for sustainable development," a roadmap launched this year for the Central Asian country's development until 2017.

Meanwhile, maintaining amicable relations with Central Asian countries, including Kyrgyzstan, is also an integrated part of the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation envisaged by Xi, he noted.

Against this background, Xi's state visit to Kyrgyzstan is of great significance to developing and consolidating China-Kyrgyzstan relations, which serves the basic interests of the peoples from the two countries, said Atambaev.

He said Kyrgyzstan is committed to its good-neighborhood and friendship policy with China, adding that he is gratified to see the rapid development of the two countries' relations in recent years.

As to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Atambaev said since it was founded in 2001, the SCO has become one of the multilateral mechanisms with the greatest potential and brightest prospect, noting Kyrgyzstan is honored to host the 13th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the SCO.

According to the Kyrgyz president, the summit this year will be focused on the situation in Afghanistan after scheduled withdrawal of the NATO-led coalition forces in 2014.

Leaders of the SCO members will also discuss plans to step up cooperation in multilateral economic projects and exchange views on combating "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism, drug trafficking and arms smuggling.

Kyrgyzstan, where Xi will kick off a state visit on Tuesday and attend the SCO summit, is the fourth leg of the Chinese president's Central Asia tour, which has brought him to Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

He also attended a Group of 20 summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.?

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