On 29 November, the 6th meeting of the Turkmen-Chinese Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee will be held in Ashgabat. Deputy Chairman, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov reported on the preparations for the meeting at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan on Friday (24 Nov).
As noted, the relations between the two countries are of a strategic nature. In order to strengthen and expand mutually beneficial interstate partnership, the development of Turkmen-Chinese relations in new promising areas, on the basis of the relevant bilateral agreement, the above-mentioned Committee was established, which includes 6 specialized subcommittees.
So far, five of its meetings have been held.
The agenda of the next meeting of the Committee will include topical issues of interstate cooperation in such areas as the oil and gas sector, transport and logistics, agriculture, chemical and textile industries, science and education, high technology, healthcare, etc.
Following the meeting, it is planned to sign the relevant Protocol.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry Speaker Mao Ning announced at a press briefing on Friday that Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang will take part in the meeting of the joint cooperation committee in Ashgabat.
Ding Xuexiang is the First Vice-Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, a member of the Standing Committee of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau and secretary of the Working Committee of the Central Party and State Institutions.
Here are the relevant excerpts from the briefing materials of the Chinese foreign ministry:
“At the invitation of Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council Ding Xuexiang will visit Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan and hold the 11th Meeting of the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee and the sixth Meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee from November 26 to 30.”
“Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are friendly neighbors and comprehensive strategic partners. At present, under the strategic leadership of President Xi Jinping, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, China’s relations with the two countries have grown at a high level. We are actively building a community with a shared future with both countries bilaterally. As major mechanisms for planning, guiding and coordinating bilateral cooperation, the China-Kazakhstan Cooperation Committee and the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee have played a vital role in following through on the common understandings between the heads of state and promoting cooperation in various fields. Both committees are meeting in person for the first time since the pandemic. This is yet another important high-level exchange between China and Central Asian countries since the China-Central-Asia Summit in May and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in October this year. We are convinced that the visit will surely deliver on the common understandings between the heads of state and consolidate political mutual trust, deepen all-round cooperation and add new impetus to building a closer community with a shared future between China and Kazakhstan and between China and Turkmenistan.”
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In October, on the sidelines of the third Belt and Road International Cooperation Forum, Ding Xuexiang met in Beijing with the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Turkmen delegation. ///nCa, 25 November 2023
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