The second China+Central Asia (C+C5) foreign ministers meeting was held in China’s Xi’an city on Wednesday. The agenda of the meeting included discussions on the expansion of trade-economic and investment ties between the China and five Central Asian states – Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
In his welcoming speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi warmly greeted his colleagues and underlined the importance of strengthening the cooperation between the countries’ external policy agencies for the implementation of agreements reached at the highest level and advancement of the multifaceted partnership between the countries, Turkmen Foreign Ministry said in its press release.
The ministers paid special attention to countering the COVID-19 pandemic and intensification of collaboration in the area of medicine, healthcare and science.
Discussing the key issues of international and global agenda, the officials underlined the significance of deepening the external policy coordination aimed at the maintenance of security, stability and sustainable development.
In his speech, the Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov voiced the position of Turkmenistan on ensuring energy, transport and ecological security on the regional and international levels. He also underlined the importance of strengthening transport and transit communications along the main transport corridors, adding that Turkmenistan intends to further facilitate the transport interconnectivity and provision of trade ties’ resilience, including through the full unfolding of transport and transit potential of the Central Asia.
The ministers agreed on establishing a meeting mechanism to maintain an active dialogue and practical implementation of joint initiatives in the field of trade, transport-communication systems, medicine and healthcare, scientific and technological innovations, and digital economy, according to the statement.
Upon the outcomes of the meeting, the ministers adopted a number of documents, including a Memorandum on the Creation of the Meeting Format of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs “Central Asia – China”, joint statements on Afghanistan, on on cooperation in combating COVID-19, and on further deepening interregional cooperation.
The Turkmen delegation’s visit to China’s city of Xi'an lasted from May 9 to May 12. The meeting of co-chairmen of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Chinese Committee for Cooperation and the meeting between Turkmen and Chinese foreign ministers was held within the framework of the visit.
