Yesterday, the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, met with Dai Houliang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), as part of his friendly visit to the People's Republic of China.

Prior to the meeting, the head of CNPC introduced the representatives of the corporation to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Subsequently, a commemorative photo session took place.

Dai Houliang warmly welcomed the high-ranking Turkmen guest, noting that meeting the National Leader is a great honor for the corporation he leads. He stated that this visit is a historic event confirming the high level of China-Turkmenistan cooperation. Taking the opportunity, he conveyed warm greetings and best wishes to the honorable President. Furthermore, Dai Houliang sincerely congratulated Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Head of State on the upcoming Nowruz holiday.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people expressed gratitude for the kind words and stated that Turkmenistan, which consistently implements an "Open Door" policy, attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations with China. He highlighted the efforts of the President of Turkmenistan and the President of the PRC in enriching effective interstate relations—based on equality, mutual understanding, and trust—with new meaning and substance.

During the exchange of views on the current state and future directions of cooperation, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan confirmed the country's intention to continue exchanging experience with CNPC and to further advance the partnership. It was noted that Turkmen-Chinese relations cover a wide range of areas, including political-diplomatic, trade-economic, fuel-energy, transport-communications, logistics, industry, technology, and cultural-humanitarian sectors. The fuel and energy sector is one of the priority areas of bilateral relations. In this regard, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov drew attention to the significant role of CNPC, which has proven itself as a reliable partner in the country's oil and gas industry.

The National Leader mentioned that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the cooperation between Turkmenistan and the China National Petroleum Corporation and suggested that holding an international scientific-practical conference to mark this anniversary would be appropriate.

During the meeting, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the head of the major PRC corporation exchanged views on the future of bilateral cooperation. It was emphasized that Turkmen-Chinese cooperation in the oil and gas sector is a model of effective interstate relations. A clear result of this cooperation is the joint project to build a gas pipeline ensuring the supply of Turkmen "blue fuel" to China. In this context, the importance of the agreement reached on the development of the next stage of the "Galkynysh" gas field was noted. The Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan stated that thousands of new jobs were created as a result of the phased development of the "Galkynysh" field.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov drew attention to projects of regional importance, highlighting the significance of the Serhetabat–Herat gas pipeline, which is an important part of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India gas pipeline.

The head of CNPC emphasized the immense role of Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in implementing one of the largest projects of the century—the Turkmenistan–China gas pipeline. He expressed gratitude to the honorable President and the National Leader for the favorable investment conditions created in Turkmenistan, which holds one of the leading positions in the world in terms of natural gas reserves.

Dai Houliang confirmed the readiness to continue cooperation with Turkmenistan in the fuel and energy sector and assured that the corporation he leads will always approach its partnership obligations responsibly.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China National Petroleum Corporation Dai Houliang expressed confidence that mutually beneficial cooperation aimed at the well-being of the peoples of the two countries will continue successfully.