FM meets with Turkmen counterpart

State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse on Friday, where they discussed preparations for the upcoming meeting of the two heads of state.

Rashid Meredov accompanied Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

China attached high importance to and welcomed the Turkmenistan president's presence at the opening ceremony of the Games, which showed good bilateral relations and profound friendship between the two heads of state,Wang said.

It also demonstrated Turkmenistan's support and contribution to international sports events, he added.

Wang noted President Xi Jinping will meet his Turkmenistan counterpart Berdimuhamedov, the first face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state in four years, adding it would play a crucial role in guiding bilateral relations and chart the right direction for the future development of China-Turkmenistan ties.

He added China will work with Turkmenistan to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and promote the long-term, steady and sustainable development of cooperation in key areas such as energy.

Rashid Meredov said he was delighted to come to China and participate in the grand world event, referring to the Games, and looked forward to the upcoming meeting of the two heads of state.

He said Turkmenistan was China's reliable strategic partner and attributed the robust momentum of the bilateral friendship in recent years to high mutual trust of the two heads of state as well as their strategic planning and significant leadership in bilateral ties.

He thanked China for providing his country with strong and effective support in terms of fighting the pandemic.

He also expressed willingness to work with China to deepen cooperation in various fields to elevate bilateral relations to a new level.

Both sides unanimously agreed to push forward the implementation of a cooperation plan for the next five years between the two governments, enhance alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with Turkmenistan's development strategy to revive the Great Silk Road, and deepen cooperation in multiple fields including natural gas and transportation.

The two sides exchanged ideas on cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries. Wang said China would work with Central Asian countries to implement the consensus reached in the recently concluded virtual summit for the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Central Asian countries, and deliver more tangible results of cooperation.

The Afghanistan issue was also on the agenda for discussion. Wang suggested holding the third Foreign Ministers' meeting of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan to continue to beef up coordination and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. Rashid Meredov agreed with this proposal.