'China will continue nuke co-op with Pak'

{image-china pak flag1_27042008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Islamabad, Apr 27: Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi has said that his country will continue its nuclear energy co-operation with Pakistan for peaceful purposes.

"The Chinese Government and the people of China always regard Pakistan as their true friend, and hope that existing relations between the two countries will gain momentum," Yang told Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani at Prime Minister's House on Saturday. Gilani said that his country accords high priority to its close relationship with China.

He said Pakistan and China enjoy a broad-based relationship and the two countries were actively cooperating in political, diplomatic, economic and defence fields.

He further said that China was Pakistan's strategic partner and a time-tested friend.

Both the leaders agreed to increase trade, investments and cooperation in the fields of defence, science and technology, and education besides enhancing people to people contact.

Gilani said Pakistan was confronting challenges in the food and energy sectors and the government was working on short and long-term measures to overcome these, adding that his government would welcome Chinese cooperation to effectively deal with these problems at the earliest.

Referring to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China, Gilani said FTA would open up new avenues between the two countries to further enhance trade.

ANI