Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 22 / Trend H. Hasanov /
The Chinese side has chosen a course of developing the long-term and stable Chinese-Turkmen relations of friendship and cooperation and energy strategic partnership, Chinese President Hu Jintao's message to Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.
The letter published in local newspapers was dedicated to the 20th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Chinese leader wrote that China and Turkmenistan develop close political contacts, strengthen mutual understanding, expand a partnership in trade and economic cooperation in the field of energy, communications and infrastructure.
He said that a special breakthrough was achieved in the gas sector. The ties in the field of culture, science and education are being intensified.
"The cooperation between China and Turkmenistan brings two countries and their peoples benefits," Jintao said.
"Using the 20th anniversary of establishing the diplomatic relations, the Chinese side confirms its readiness to continue promoting political mutual trust, intensifying the cooperation in gas sector and other areas, closely working in international and regional scale, making efforts for intensive and constructive development of the Chinese-Turkmen relations of friendship and cooperation, "the letter said.
The Trans-Asian gas pipeline (the territories of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China) was commissioned in December 2009 with the originally approved design capacity of up to 40 billion cubic meters a year. The agreement has been recently signed in Beijing to increase purchases of up to 65 billion cubic meters of gas. The construction of additional facilities is required.
The Chinese CNPC acts as a purchaser of gas. It concluded the agreement with Turkmenistan in 2006 to deliver supplies for 30 years. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may get the access to the import of Turkmen fuel in 2012.