XI'AN -- Kazakhstan has opened a new consulate general in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, where the first China-Central Asia Summit was held on Thursday and Friday.

The Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Xi'an is the third consulate general of Kazakhstan in China and the first consular office set up by a Central Asian country in western China.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang attended the opening ceremony of the Consulate General of Kazakhstan in Xi'an, together with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murat Nurtleu on Friday.

Tokayev said in his speech that the opening of the consulate general is of great significance and will vigorously promote bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, investment, transportation, logistics, culture and other fields and make new contributions to the development of Kazakhstan-China relations.

Qin said that the opening of the consulate general is a new milestone in the history of China-Kazakhstan relations. It will build a new bridge for friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, especially between China's western provincial regions and Kazakhstan, and provide a new window for enhancing mutual understanding between China and Central Asian countries.