Today, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received a member of the State Council, Minister of Defense of the People's Republic of China Wei Fenghe, who arrived in our country.

Expressing gratitude for the time taken, the guest conveyed warm greetings to the head of state from President of China Xi Jinping and Premier of the State Council of China Li Keqiang, who addressed the wishes of well-being and prosperity to all the Turkmen people. As noted, China attaches great importance to further strengthening of traditionally friendly relations with Turkmenistan, which are dynamically developing in various directions. Taking this opportunity, the member of the State Council, the Minister of Defense of the People's Republic of China also congratulated the head of state on his convincing victory in the presidential elections and wished him success in his important and responsible activities.

Thanking for the kind words and conveying greetings and best wishes to the top leadership of the PRC, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that Turkmenistan also sincerely cherishes the long-standing ties of friendship with China. As the head of state noted, this year is marked by the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, demonstrating commitment to an equal long-term partnership of a strategic nature.

During the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and his guest exchanged views on the prospects for Turkmen-Chinese cooperation, which has an impressive potential for building mutually beneficial ties, taking into account modern realities and opportunities. A reliable basis for the realization of this multifaceted potential is the established legal framework for bilateral partnership, which includes a solid package of documents. At the same time, special attention was paid to the implementation of the agreements reached at the highest level and designed to bring the Turkmen-Chinese cooperation to new frontiers.

Developing a constructive political and diplomatic dialogue, Turkmenistan and the People's Republic of China cooperate productively in the trade and economic sphere, in such priority areas as fuel and energy complex, transport and communications sector, and a number of other industries.

In this context, it was noted that Chinese companies are demonstrating great interest in the Turkmen market, where a favorable investment climate has been created. The essence of bilateral business cooperation lies in the joint implementation of major infrastructure projects carried out in our country. The area of introduction of advanced technologies is also designated as a promising vector of partnership.

Fruitful contacts in the humanitarian sphere – through education, science and culture, as well as sports and healthcare – are also an integral part of the Turkmen-Chinese relations. For a number of years now, students from Turkmenistan have been studying in prestigious universities of the PRC, acquiring various specialties. There are departments of the Chinese language in higher educational institutions of our country.

Bilateral interstate relations are organically complemented by an effective partnership within the framework of the UN, other authoritative international and regional organizations, including in the “Central Asia – China” format.

As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized, by implementing the policy of positive neutrality, peacefulness and good neighborliness, Turkmenistan seeks to put its creative potential at the service of all mankind. These goals are also met by the national Military Doctrine, which is purely defensive in nature and is designed to ensure the security of the country and the peaceful and prosperous life of the people. Taking an active and proactive stance in developing balanced solutions to urgent problems of our time, Turkmenistan makes a concrete contribution to strengthening constructive international cooperation and achieving sustainable development.

At the same time, it was noted that the People's Republic of China has great respect for the neutral status of our country, which is a significant factor in ensuring peace and stability in the region, and also fully supports the constructive initiatives of the Turkmen side. Steadily following the assumed obligations arising from this status, twice confirmed by special Resolutions of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan has earned a reputation as a reliable and responsible partner and high authority in the international arena.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and member of the State Council, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe expressed confidence that the fruitful interstate relations, which have stood the test of time, will continue to develop dynamically for the common good, filled with new concrete content.