Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, national leader of the Turkmen People, has hailed the robust and multifaceted cooperation between Turkmenistan and China, emphasizing the two nations' shared commitment to elevating their bilateral relations to new heights.
In an interview with China Media Group on Wednesday, Berdimuhamedov, also chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) of Turkmenistan, underscored the significance of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
"On Jan 6, 1992, China became the very first country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan. On Sept 3, 2013, Turkmenistan and China signed the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the People's Republic of China and Turkmenistan. Building on that, in January 2023, the two countries signed the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and Turkmenistan, officially announcing the creation of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. These documents marked the elevation of Turkmenistan-China relations to a higher level of bilateral cooperation," said Berdimuhamedov.
He noted that at the diplomatic level, the two nations have cultivated highly effective and mature mechanisms for political consultations and dialog.
"At the diplomatic level, we maintain highly effective cooperation, having established mature mechanisms for bilateral political consultations and dialog. Within international organizations -- first and foremost within the framework of the United Nations -- we have built a valuable tradition of mutual support. This clearly demonstrates that our two sides have reached a high degree of consensus on international and regional hotspot issues, while establishing an efficient model for cooperation. I deeply appreciate and sincerely thank China for its consistent support of Turkmenistan's neutral status and for endorsing our various international initiatives," said the leader.
Reciprocating China's support, Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's steadfast position on issues central to China's core interests.
"Turkmenistan has consistently clarified its positions on issues of importance to China, including China's core interests regarding territorial integrity and national unity. Turkmenistan firmly adheres to the one-China principle and reaffirms that the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. I would also like to point out that our two countries conduct highly productive and close cooperation on multilateral platforms. Turkmenistan highly respects the important role China plays as one of the founding members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and actively participates in SCO summits as a guest. Furthermore, under the Central Asia-China dialogue mechanism jointly advocated by our two countries, our bilateral cooperation continues to deepen and expand," he said.
Economically, China has long been Turkmenistan's largest trading partner, according to Berdimuhamedov.
"For a long time, China has been Turkmenistan's largest economic and trade cooperation partner. Since 2007, trade between Turkmenistan and China has grown 20 times. It is important to emphasize that our bilateral trade remains stable, reaching 9 to 10 billion U.S. dollars annually," he said.
Berdimuhamedov paid a goodwill visit to China from Tuesday to Thursday.
Turkmen national leader hails robust, multifaceted cooperation with China
