DUSHANBE, Sept 15: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao have vowed to strengthen the strategic relationship between the two countries and to expand it in all areas, including defence, security, energy and science and technology.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit here on Friday, the two leaders said the relationship was growing in areas of trade, investment, defence, security and social and cultural sectors.

They reviewed the agreements to be signed during the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao to Pakistan in November.

Both the leaders agreed on signing of a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.

The Chinese premier said his government had to the idea of setting up a joint investment company and details were being worked out in this regard.

China will set up industrial zones and business parks in Pakistan run by Chinese entrepreneurs, besides cooperating in the establishment of a university of science and technology.

The Chinese side reaffirmed its desire to develop the Thar coal deposits and stated that details in this regard were being worked out.

In a meeting between Prime Minister Aziz and his Russian counterpart Mikhail E. Fradkov, the two countries agreed on enhancing cooperation in all fields, specially energy, investment and trade.

They also agreed to have enhanced cooperation in transport, rail, road and electricity sectors.

The two leaders and their aides, including Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Ali Jatoi and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar, discussed the need for closer collaboration on international matters.

Prime Minister Aziz called for an institutionalised mechanism to increase the economic ties and the frequency of high-level contacts between the two countries.

He said there was wide scope of investment in many sectors in Pakistan.

He thanked the Russian government for its assistance in the aftermath of the Oct 8 earthquake and said its Mi-17 helicopters had played a key role in evacuating the injured and saving scores of lives.

The Russian prime minister said there was need to translate into practical shape the decisions taken earlier between the two countries for closer cooperation.

The two leaders called for identifying new sectors in which the two countries could have closer interaction.

Mr Aziz invited the prime minister of Russian Federation to visit Pakistan.

Prime Minister Aziz also called on Tajikistan President Emmomali Rahmonov and discussed bilateral matters and need for closer collaboration between the two countries in trade and investment and increased economic cooperation.

He said Pakistan desired full membership of the SCO.

He said there was need to promote economic cooperation within the SCO framework to ensure free flow of trade, commodities, technology and services among the member states.

In his meeting with his counterpart from Kazakhstan Daniyal Akhmetov, the prime minister called for expanding transport links through Afghanistan and Tajikistan and through the Karakoram Highway. He said the trade flow between the two sides could increase manifold.

The two leaders agreed to reactivate the Joint Economic Commission of their countries and to hold its meeting in November in Islamabad. The prime minister said the meeting would send a positive signal to investors and lead to greater interaction between business sectors of the two countries.

He thanked Kazakhstan for its facilitation leading to Pakistan getting observer status at the SCO.

The prime minister also met SCO Secretary-General Zhang Degnang.—APP