CORRECTED-China, Kyrgyzstan looking at further cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture and minerals

BEIJING, Nov 20 (Reuters) - China and Kyrgyzstan discussed further economic cooperation, including building border port and highway infrastructure, developing agricultural trade and exploring green minerals, according to a joint statement released by the Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterpart Jeenbek Kulubayev met on Wednesday in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek for talks focusing on economic and trade matters, connectivity, politics and regional issues, the statement said.

To help bilateral trade, both sides discussed opening border crossings, speeding up construction of the Bedel border port and modernising two existing ones in Kyrgyzstan, and improving customs clearance capacity.

They also discussed opening an international air corridor in southern Kyrgyzstan, a poorer region of the Central Asian country, and adding direct flights between China's northwestern city of Kashgar with Bishkek and Osh.

The ministers spoke about developing agricultural trade and support for cooperation in the green minerals field, but did not elaborate on the latter.

Wang also met with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.