Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov on Thursday in the Uzbek city of Samarkand. 

Xi pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Turkmenistan 30 years ago, the two countries have enjoyed sustained, sound and steady growth of bilateral relations, and the strategic partnership has reached new heights.

China respects Turkmenistan's independently chosen development path that suits its own national conditions, and opposes any external interference in Turkmenistan's internal affairs and process of stability and development, Xi said, adding that China will continue to work with Turkmenistan to firmly support each other.

Xi emphasized the need for the two sides to increase the size and scale of natural gas cooperation and inject new impetus into the development and revitalization of the two countries.

Xi noted the need to accelerate cooperation in non-resource fields and to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with Turkmenistan's strategy to revive the Great Silk Road.

The two sides need to deliver on mutually setting up cultural centers as soon as possible to provide a new platform for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two nations. The Chinese side is ready to set up a Luban workshop in Turkmenistan at an early date and continue to strengthen COVID-19 response cooperation with Turkmenistan, Xi added. 

The Chinese side is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Turkmen side within the China+Central Asia (C+C5) meeting mechanism, implement the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, enhance international coordination, uphold the converging interests of the developing countries, and contribute to world peace and development, Xi said.

For his part, President Berdymukhamedov said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and China 30 years ago, bilateral relations have developed smoothly and cooperation in various fields has been expanding.

Turkmenistan highly values its strategic partnership with China, and is ready to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China in various fields, including economy and trade, natural gas, cross-border transportation, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, Berdymukhamedov said. 

Turkmenistan firmly supports the one-China principle and firmly supports China in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, he added. 

Berdymukhamedov said Turkmenistan supports a series of major initiatives put forward by China, which are conducive to maintaining international peace and security and achieving the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.