Special report: President Hu visits 3 nations, attends SCO Summit

Chinese President Hu Jintao (R front) arrives at the airport of Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, on Aug. 28, 2008. President Hu Jintao arrived here Thursday for a state visit to Turkmenistan. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Photo Gallery>>>

    ASHGABAT, Aug. 29 (Xinhua)-- Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Ashgabat Thursday for a state visit to Turkmenistan to push forward the friendly and cooperative ties between China and Turkmenistan.

    In a written speech issued upon his arrival at the airport, the Chinese president said that his visit aims to strengthen friendship and enlarge mutually-beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

    He said that he will meet his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov to discuss ways to further bilateral ties and exchange views on major international and regional issues.

    "Since the two countries established diplomatic ties 16 years ago, friendly and cooperative relations between China and Turkmenistan have developed steadily with stronger political trust, and expanding pragmatic cooperation between the two sides," he said.

    He said that the two countries also have coordinated closely within the framework of the United Nations and in other multi-lateral areas.

    "All these have brought substantial benefits to the peoples of the two countries," he said.

    With the joint efforts by the two sides, he said, his current visit would be a complete success.

    President Hu is on the last leg of his three-nation tour, which have already taken him to the Republic of Korea and Tajikistan. In the Tajik capital of Dushanbe, the Chinese leader attended the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.