The Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Good-Neighborly Relations between the People's Republic of China and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan went into effect on Wednesday.

 

Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and Pakistani Ambassador to China Salman Bashir exchanged the Instruments of Ratification of the treaty and signed the certificate on behalf of their respective governments.

 

Premier Wen Jiabao signed the treaty with Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during his visit to Pakistan in April, 2005.

 

Exchanging the Instruments of Ratification of the treaty signified that China and Pakistan have finished all domestic legal procedures, and that the treaty took effect on Wednesday.

 

Wu said the treaty was an embodiment of the common desire for friendship between the people of the two countries, and indicated that the China-Pakistan all-weather friendship has entered a new phase.

 

This year witnessed the 55th anniversary of the forging of diplomatic ties between China and Pakistan. Under the joint efforts of both sides, Wu noted, the Sino-Pakistan strategic and cooperative partnership would achieve further progress.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2006)