On January 22, Ashgabat hosted a meeting between Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Chinese Ambassador Qian Naicheng .
According to the press service of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, the parties discussed preparations for the China-Central Asian states summit and the opening of the XXIV Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, in which President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is expected to attend .
According to the Chinese Embassy, Meredov and Naicheng also discussed the agreements previously reached at a high level.
On January 6, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Naicheng on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations .
Turkmenistan and China have intensified intergovernmental cooperation after it became known in May 2021 that China hopes to increase supplies of Turkmen gas to compensate for losses due to a reduction in its imports from Australia. Obviously, the parties are trying to speed up the construction of the previously frozen fourth branch (D) of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline.
In July, during a visit to Turkmenistan, speaking about the unstable situation in Afghanistan, the head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry promised Ashgabat “traditional and non-traditional” cooperation to protect state security.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan