On August 29 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao, who had arrived on an official visit to Ashgabat, held the talks in the Turkmen capital.

In the morning the Chinese guest’s cortege left Serdar Hotel and headed for the Presidential Palace where President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov cordially and hospitably greeted the Chinese leader. The President of Turkmenistan introduced the members of the Turkmen government delegation and the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to Turkmenistan. Hu Jintao introduced the members of the government delegation of the People’s Republic of China to the Turkmen leader.

Upon concluding the official greeting ceremony the Turkmen-Chinese top level talks were held.

Cordially greeting the honorary guest in the Turkmen land Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked Hu Jintao for accepting the invitation to pay an official visit to Ashgabat. The Turkmen leader noted that he had the warm recollections of the recent meeting with the President of China in Beijing during the ceremony of opening the XXIX Olympic Games. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov congratulated the leader and people of China on the success of the 2008 Olympic Games and emphasized that Turkmenistan always rejoiced at the friendly country’s achievements on the path of progressive development and prosperity. The Turkmen President expressed belief that the current top level talks would be a new incentive to intensify Turkmen-Chinese partnership based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

Thanking Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the heartfelt welcome Hu Jintao said that he was glad of a new meeting with the Turkmen leader, an opportunity to discuss the prospects of and to elaborate the optimal approaches to effective co-operation. The Chinese President expressed sincere gratitude to the Turkmen leader for visiting Beijing and attending the ceremony of opening the 2008 Olympic Games. Putting emphasis on the exceptionally constructive, progressive character of the bilateral relations Hu Jintao confirmed his country’s willingness to intensify collaboration with Turkmenistan on the long-term basis.

The leaders harmonized the views and specified the key vectors of further co-operation that was rapidly intensified in recent years. The prospects of traditional partnership in the fuel and energy sector were a focus of the talks. In this context the sides focused on the key aspects of the Turkmenistan-China Pipeline Project. Stating the high potential of trade and economic relations Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Hu Jintao called for expanding co-operation in the very promising fields such as transport and telecommunications, textile and chemical industries where the partners had accumulated the substantial experience of joint activities. The sides paid special attention to the deepening of humanitarian contacts in the sphere of science, education and culture as well.

The sides discussed the issues of the regional and international policies of mutual interest putting emphasis on the reciprocal adherence to co-operation in the framework of the authoritative international organisations including the United Nations to ensure global security, stability and sustainable development.

Then the Turkmen and Chinese government delegations joined in the talks

Cordially greeting the Chairman of the People’s Republic of China and the members of the Chinese government delegation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that this visit was regarded as an important event in the history of the traditionally friendly intergovernmental dialogue upsurged in the modern period. Focusing on the results of the top level talks with the leader of China the Turkmen President stated the mutual understanding and concurrence in the views on the urgent problems of the modern world and international relations in whole.

First of all, these included maintenance of peace and security, respond to global threats to mankind. Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China demonstrated the consentaneity of the approaches to the problems of terrorism, extremism and separatism. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the agreement to maintain collaboration in thee fields through employing the potential of the international organisations, particularly the United Nations had been achieved during the top level talks. The Turkmen leader expressed gratitude to the Chinese partners for supporting Turkmenistan’s international initiatives, respecting its foreign policy strategy based on the status of neutrality. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that Turkmenistan respected China’s position on the world arena.

Touching upon the aspects of bilateral partnership the Turkmen President said that its important component was trade and economic ties that was evidenced by the trade turnover between two countries that increased as much as twice in the past two years.

A basic trend in intergovernmental partnership was the fuel and energy sector in which Turkmenistan and China had been collaborating for several years. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the partners implemented the Turkmenistan-China Pipeline Project – the most important project on the Asian continent aimed at common benefit and sustainable development in this field. The President said that the sphere of transport and communication was very promising and Turkmenistan and China could collaborate in the projects initiated by Turkmenistan on construction of the transnational transport corridors.

The mutually beneficial contacts were actively developed in the sphere of communication which had the profound experience of partnership and was based on the mutual endeavours to foster it.

A special field of Turkmen-Chinese co-operation was textile industry. The modern textile enterprises manufacturing competitive high-quality products had been built by joint efforts. The great accomplishments had been achieved in silk production.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the partners were planning to establish close collaboration in chemical industry, including construction of the units producing mineral fertilizers.

Touching upon humanitarian co-operation the President noted that it reflected the centuries-old cultural ties between two peoples and stood as a strategic aspect of the Turkmen-Chinese dialogue. First of all, much had been achieved in the sphere of education – a priority of Turkmenistan’s national policy. Dozens of Turkmen young people studied at the higher schools in China. The Chinese language and literature was studied at the educational establishments in Turkmenistan.

Focusing on the necessity of working out a more effective mechanism of implementing the profound potential of bilateral co-operation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the agreement to establish the committee for Turkmen-Chinese co-operation had been achieved.

Noting the outstanding services of Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao in developing the bilateral relations, his construction to maintenance of peace, friendship and co-operation between the Turkmen and Chinese peoples President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that it gave him great pleasure to award the highest Order of Turkmenistan Turkmenistanyn ilkinji Prezidenti Beyik Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy to the Chinese leader.

In conclusion the Turkmen leader expressed belief that the agreement achieved in Ashgabat would promote strengthening and developing Turkmen-Chinese partnership in all fields.
Then the floor was given to President Hu Jintao. Thanking for the heartfelt welcome and hospitality extended to the Chinese delegation, the high level of organisation of the talks the honorary guest focused on the paramount significance attached by China to the development of the ties of friendship and co-operation with Turkmenistan that plays an increasingly important role in international affairs, in the Asian region as well. President Hu Jintao said that ranking among China’s old friendship and partners Turkmenistan demonstrated adherence to these ties sharing with the Chinese people their success and hardships. Hu Jintao expressed deep gratitude to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for providing assistance and support to the Chinese people who had suffered from the disastrous earthquake in the Sichuan Province. The Chinese leader said that Turkmenistan was among the first countries to expresses condolences on the disaster and to send the humanitarian aid.

Noting that the Turkmen capital had beautified and changed beyond recognition since his first visit to Ashgabat in 1995 Hu Jintao said that this fact along with the social and economic achievements were the direct outcomes of the fundamental reforms implemented on the initiative and under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in all spheres including international co-operation. The honorary guest said that the high dynamics of bilateral co-operation was conditioned by the interested, constructive approach demonstrated by both partners. “We are profoundly impressed with the business-like style characteristic of the President of Turkmenistan who has won the reputation of a modern, broad-minded politician and statesman,” Hu Jintao said.

Highly appreciating the initiatives put forward during the top level talks, in particular to establish the committee for Turkmen-Chinese co-operation the Chinese President called for accelerating this co-operation through intensifying and expanding business contact at all levels, optimizing partnership through activating the new mechanism – the committee for co-operation as soon as possible.

The Chinese leader focused on the necessity to enhance co-operation to strengthen peace and security on the regional as well as global scale through collaborating in the framework of the United Nations and other international organisations. In this regard Hu Jintao welcomed the opening of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat.

Touching upon the priorities of bilateral co-operation the leader of the People’s Republic of China mentioned energy sector and noted that Turkmen gas would be supplied to China in late 2009. Hu Jintao confirmed China’s readiness to apply all possible efforts to intensify co-operation in textile and chemical industries through constructing the railway repair and maintenance centre in Turkmenistan.

Hu Jintao paid special attention to humanitarian co-operation and its significance for strengthening the ties of confidence, friendship and mutual understanding between two countries. Expressing China’s adherence to the current ties and approaches and highly appreciating the existing experience the Chinese leader put forward the proposal to open the Confucius Institute – the educational and research centre for the study of rich culture and spiritual heritage of the Chinese people in Turkmenistan.

In conclusion the Chinese leader cordially thanked Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and stated that he considered the decision to award the highest order of Turkmenistan as a token of profound respect to the people of China who together with their Turkmen brothers built the happy and prosperous future.

Upon concluding the talks the participants attended the ceremony of signing the bilateral documents. The se included the intergovernmental document on the project activities on construction of the railway repair and maintenance centre in Turkmenistan, the Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Technical and Economic Co- Operation the Framework Agreement between the Turkmengaz State Concern and the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation on expansion of co-operation in gas industry, Agreement between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Turkmen-Chinese Committee for Co-Operation.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao affixed their signatures to the Joint Communiqué. Then the leaders of Turkmenistan and China held a brief press conference.

Highly appreciating the top level talks and putting emphasis on the significance of the ties of friendship and co-operation traced back to the Great Silk Route and revived in the third millennia Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the new mechanisms of implementing the profound potential of partnership. The President said that the relations between Turkmenistan and China stood as a constructive element of international policy in Asia demonstrating the common approaches to the problems of peace, security and sustainable development.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that many projects were implemented in collaboration with the largest companies of the People’s Republic of China in various sectors of the national economy on the basis of scientific and technological advances, latest technologies that the Chinese specialists had the profound expertise in. noting that energy sector was the core of Turkmen-Chinese partnership the President said that today the Turkmenistan-China transnational gas pipeline had started to take the realistic shape through concreted efforts.

Stating that the results of the top level talks had enabled to advance towards a more effective mechanism of implementing the mutual interests Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov referred to the bilateral documents, in particular the agreement on the Turkmen-Chinese committee for co-operation. Reviving the Great Silk Route in a new dimension particular importance was attached to expanding the opportunities of humanitarian co-operation prioritizing education, the President said.

Noting China’s phenomenal sports achievements Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan intended to considerably extend humanitarian co-operation especially in the sphere of sport that was of particular concern in Turkmenistan.

Hu Jintao highly appreciated the results of the top level talks held in the atmosphere of mutual confidence and understanding. The honorary guest stated with satisfaction that the bilateral documents specifying the priority trends in partnership had been signed. According to the Chinese leader these trends included energy sector, transport, telecommunications and humanitarian co-operation. Putting emphasis on the significance of the largest gas pipeline in the region Turkmenistan-China Hu Jintao said that that the partners had agreed to accelerate the project activities.

Expressing solidairity with the Turkmen leader on the importance of humanitarian co-operation and the further steps to intensify it the Chinese President focused on the significance of collaboration in maintaining peace and security, tackling challenges and threats of the modern world the Chinese leader emphasized that Turkmenistan and China had the common views on the future of the world where the principles of mercy, peaceableness and humanism should reign.

In conclusion Hu Jintao cordially thanked the President and the people of Turkmenistan for hospitality and cordiality.