Yesterday, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received member of the board, President of China National Petroleum Corporation (“CNPC”) Hou Qijun.

Expressing sincere gratitude to the head of state for the time spent, the head of “CNPC” confirmed the interest of the Chinese partners in strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation with Turkmenistan, built on a long-term basis. As noted, the business circles of the PRC express their desire to expand their presence in the promising Turkmen market and their readiness to actively participate in the implementation of large-scale reform programs and large infrastructure projects being implemented in our country.

Emphasizing that neutral Turkmenistan, consistently pursuing an “open door” policy, attaches great importance to the development of traditionally friendly relations with China, which are of a strategic nature, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that in the modern epoch, a constructive interstate dialogue based on the principles of equality, mutual understanding and trust, mutual goodwill of the parties, received a new content.

Turkmen-Chinese cooperation covers a wide range of areas, including political and diplomatic, trade and economic, fuel and energy, transport and communications, logistics, industrial, technological, humanitarian and cultural spheres. Speaking of this, the head of state noted with satisfaction the ongoing dynamics of long-term cooperation with “CNPC”, which has proven itself to be a reliable partner of our country in the fuel and energy (FEC) sector.

In continuation of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and the head of China's largest corporation exchanged views on the prospects for bilateral cooperation, taking into account the existing solid potential. At the same time, it was emphasized that the Turkmen-Chinese cooperation in the oil and gas sector is a clear example of a fruitful interstate partnership, the visible result of which is the implemented joint project for the construction of a gas pipeline, which now provides the supply of Turkmen “blue fuel” to China.

This grandiose project of the 21st century, based on a balance of interests of all participants - producers, transit countries, and consumers, can also rightly be called a real contribution to strengthening regional and global energy security, which is an integral factor in overall sustainable development.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that, having colossal reserves of energy resources, Turkmenistan is consistently implementing a strategy for the comprehensive modernization of the national fuel and energy complex (FEC), focused on attracting the best world experience and advanced technologies to the industry. The key criteria here are the capacity building of the mining and processing sectors, the formation of a diversified pipeline infrastructure, the creation of innovative industries that produce high-quality competitive products that are in demand on the domestic and foreign markets. All this provides wide opportunities for productive cooperation with foreign partners.

The head of the China National Petroleum Corporation informed the head of state about the progress of work carried out by “CNPC” in our country. A specific example of successful bilateral cooperation is the participation of “CNPC” in the industrial development of hydrocarbon deposits in the “Bagtyýarlyk” contract area and the development of one of the world's largest gas storage facilities, “Galkynyş”. As a result of this cooperation, Turkmen natural gas is transported to PRC via the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline. At the same time, the importance of the agreements reached at the highest level regarding the development of the second phase of the “Galkynyş” field and the laying of the fourth branch of the Turkmenistan-China transnational gas pipeline was noted.

The head of “CNPC” expressed deep gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for participating in the opening of a new facility on June 18 - the “Gadyn” gas collection station in Lebap velayat, as well as for the active attention paid to the development of interstate cooperation in the field of energy. It was noted that interaction in this priority area also has favorable prospects in the context of inherently related initiatives of the two countries - the “One Belt One Road” concept promoted by China and the strategy implemented by Turkmenistan to revive the Great Silk Road. Assuring that the Chinese partners would continue to fulfill their obligations in the most serious and responsible manner, the businessman, taking the opportunity, expressed his best wishes to the head of state, as well as Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of the Milli Gengesh Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

At the end of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and the head of “CNPC” expressed confidence in the further successful continuation of the long-term bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation that meets the goals of common prosperity.

The meeting was also attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to Turkmenistan Qian Naicheng.