President Hu Jintao in a message on Tuesday congratulated Kyrgyzstan's interim leader Kurmanbek Bakiyev on his election as the Central Asian country's new president.

In his message, Hu said China and Kyrgyzstan are friendly neighbors and the peoples of the two countries enjoy a deep, long-standing friendship.

Bilateral ties have developed smoothly since China and Kyrgyzstan established diplomatic relations 13 years ago, said Hu.

The two countries have witnessed great progress in various fields and good cooperation in the frameworks of the UN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other multi-party organizations, added Hu.

The Chinese president noted that he is ready to encourage joint efforts with Bakiyev to push the two countries' neighborly relations and cooperation to a higher level.

(Xinhua News Agency July 13, 2005)