Asia-Pacific

China-Turkmenistan co-op to enter new stage

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-12 11:53

ASHGABAT: Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming working visit to Turkmenistan will further consolidate the momentum of bilateral cooperation, enhance political mutual trust, and effectively push the bilateral comprehensive mutual trust and cooperation into a new stage, said Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan Wu Hongbin.

At the invitation of Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Hu will pay a working visit to Turkmenistan on December 13-14.

The Chinese president is scheduled to attend a launching ceremony of a Central Asia gas pipeline, and hold formal talks with Berdymukhamedov. The two leaders will exchange ideas on major international and regional issues, and map out future directions of the bilateral reciprocal cooperation, Wu said.

Wu said China attached great importance to the development of comprehensive mutual trust and cooperation with Turkmenistan, which is an important force to maintain stability in Central Asia and is enjoying increased status in regional affairs.

Wu said China and Turkmenistan had been keeping desirable cooperation in all fields since the establishment of diplomatic relationship 17 years ago. The two countries enjoyed high-level political mutual trust, had the same or similar positions on almost all major international issues, and conducted mutual support and close coordination on the world multilateral stage.

On issues related with Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang which closely involve China's core interests, the Turkmen side has adopted firm standpoints and clear-cut attitudes in resolute support for China's various efforts for safeguarding national unification and stability, Wu said.

The ambassador said that the Central Asia natural gas pipeline exemplified the multilateral cooperation in the Central Asian region and bore important strategic significance to social and economic development of participating countries.

Wu stressed that the two countries were also accelerating cooperation in non-resource fields, and enjoyed broad prospects on cooperation in the introduction of railway locomotives, communications update and agricultural products processing.

He added that the Chinese enterprises took interest in Turkmenistan's major large-scale infrastructure projects in the construction of railways, bridges and plants.

Wu said China and Turkmenistan had great potential in further expanding the people-to-people cooperation, which has drawn special attentions from leaders of the two countries. He said China was willing to further promote exchanges with the Turkmen side on education, culture, sports and tourism among other fields, and welcome more Turkmen students to study in China.