BEIJING — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with visiting Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov on Feb 4, and they exchanged views on the preparations for the upcoming meeting between the two countries' heads of state.

Noting that President Xi Jinping and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov will have a face-to-face meeting on Feb 5 for the first time in four years, Wang said the meeting will play a vital leading role in bilateral relations and chart the course for the future development of relations between the two countries.

China welcomes the Turkmen president to make a special visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, Wang said.

China will work with Turkmenistan to implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders and advance the long-term, stable and sustainable development of cooperation in energy and other key areas, Wang said.

Meredov said Turkmenistan is a reliable strategic partner of China and the friendly relations between the two countries have enjoyed a strong momentum of development in recent years.

Meredov thanked China for offering strong and effective support in fighting the pandemic, and expressed willingness to strengthen synergy with China and deepen cooperation in areas including energy and infrastructure to lift bilateral relations.

The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in areas such as natural gas, medical and health, transportation, and culture. They also exchanged views on cooperation between China and five Central Asian countries, as well as the Afghanistan issue.