Turkmenistan willing to expand cooperation with China -- Turkmen president

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkmenistan is willing to expand cooperation with China in various areas, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said here on Tuesday at a meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Berdymukhamedov asked Wang to convey his sincere greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and extended his warm congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.

China is the only country that has eliminated absolute poverty and completed the building of a well-off society in an all-round way, and Turkmenistan admires China for its achievements that have attracted worldwide attention, Berdymukhamedov said.

Turkmenistan and China are long-term strategic partners, and the relationship between the two sides is based on mutual respect, trust and support, the president noted.

Berdymukhamedov thanked China for consistently supporting the international initiatives put forward by Turkmenistan and its permanent neutrality, saying that Turkmenistan firmly supports the one-China principle and will continue to firmly support China on issues involving China's core interests.

To cooperate with China in the energy field is a political decision made by Turkmenistan, he said, adding that Turkmenistan regards China as a long-term and reliable strategic partner in the field of natural gas, and is willing to further expand cooperation with China in the fields of information, communications, high technology, etc.

The Turkmen side thanked China for its assistance in fighting the epidemic. China's vaccines are safe, effective and trustworthy, and Turkmenistan is willing to continue to strengthen vaccine cooperation with China, according to Berdymukhamedov.

China and the five Central Asian countries are not only close neighbors, but also friends and partners. They have huge space and potential for mutually beneficial cooperation, and should work together to give full play to the role of the "China+Central Asia" mechanism to maintain regional security and stability, and promote regional development and prosperity, Berdymukhamedov added.

The Turkmen side advocated that neighboring countries should play a bigger role on the Afghan issue, and expressed its willingness to strengthen communication and coordination with China on the situation in Afghanistan.

Wang conveyed Xi's cordial greetings to Berdymukhamedov.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations nearly 30 years ago, the China-Turkmenistan ties have seen healthy and stable development, with the strategic guidance of the heads of state being the biggest advantage and mutual support being the most fundamental feature, Wang said.

Not long ago, the important phone conversation between the two heads of state charted course for and injected impetus to the future development of the bilateral relations, he said.

Wang said that China firmly supports Turkmenistan's commitment to permanent neutrality, its important initiatives aimed for international peace and prosperity, and its major political processes.

China is ready to deepen cooperation with Turkmenistan in various areas and add more substance to their strategic partnership, he said.

Wang said the two countries should sign as soon as possible documents on the alignment of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with Turkmenistan's development strategy to revive the Great Silk Road, formulate a five-year plan for all-round cooperation, plan overall strategic cooperation between the two countries, and turn the high-level political relations into more concrete results that will benefit the two peoples.

Wang noted China always views cooperation with Turkmenistan in natural gas from the strategic and long-term perspective and offers to be the most reliable and stable export market for Turkmenistan's natural gas.

China is ready for cooperation with Turkmenistan across the whole industrial chain of oil and gas, and jointly forge a high-level strategic partnership in the energy sector, he said.

Wang suggested that both countries expand cooperation in non-natural resources sectors and enrich their strategic cooperation.

He said China will continue to provide aid, including vaccines, to Turkmenistan to help it combat the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthen bilateral health cooperation, and build a global community of health for all.

Wang emphasized that the current security situation in Central Asia is not optimistic, and the urgency and necessity of strengthening security cooperation between China and Turkmenistan have become increasingly prominent.

China is willing to maintain close communication with Turkmenistan on the situation in Afghanistan, strengthen cooperation under the "China+Central Asia" framework, strictly guard against and respond to the spillover effect of the situation in Afghanistan on neighboring countries, and maintain regional peace and stability, Wang said.

During his visit to Turkmenistan, Wang also held talks with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and met with Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Turkmen President of China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee Serdar Berdymukhamedov.