Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Monday greeted visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Ak Orda Presidential Palace in Astana.
Xi landed in the Kazakh capital earlier the same day to attend the second China-Central Asia Summit from Monday to Wednesday at Tokayev's invitation.
After Xi's motorcade arrived at the presidential palace, the two heads of state shook hands and posed for photos before heading inside to commence talks.
At the summit, Xi will deliver a keynote speech, and exchange views with the leaders of the Central Asian countries on the achievements of the China-Central Asia mechanism, mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework, as well as international and regional hotspot issues. The leaders will jointly attend relevant activities.
Xi is also set to hold separate meetings with the leaders of the other Central Asian countries attending the summit.
The inaugural China-Central Asia Summit was successfully held in Xi'an, the capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in May 2023.
Tokayev greets Xi at presidential palace before talks
Tokayev greets Xi at presidential palace before talks
Tokayev greets Xi at presidential palace before talks
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
