As is known, the leaders of China and Central Asia will take part in the Central Asia-China Summit on the 18th to 19th of May, which will be held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The summit will bring together the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan and will be the first major diplomatic event hosted by China this year. And on the eve of the 13th of May, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the Special Representative of the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in the rank of Minister Ma Zhaoxu, who conveyed to the President of Turkmenistan warm greetings from President Xi Jinping and an invitation to take part in the upcoming Summit.

As emphasized at the meeting, China attaches great importance to further strengthening relations with Turkmenistan, including in the Central Asia-China format. In this regard, the special significance of the talks held in Beijing in January of this year between the President of Turkmenistan and the President of the People's Republic of China, which became an important step towards the development of a strategic partnership based on equality and mutual respect, was also noted.

Today, developing a constructive political and diplomatic dialogue, Turkmenistan and China actively cooperate in such priority areas as the fuel and energy complex, the trade and economic sphere and a number of other industries.

On the eve of the summit, political scientists and experts expressed their opinions and assessments on its importance and significance at various discussion platforms. Almost unanimously, the opinion was expressed that the Summit, first of all, is aimed at expanding China's cooperation with the countries of Central Asia. Chinese experts and political scientists noted that the participation of the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping and the leaders of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan at the high-level event will demonstrate a special trust in relations between the heads of state. And this is very important for maintaining and further developing cooperation in the face of growing global and regional challenges.

Regarding the agenda of the summit, it is expected that it will include the widest range of issues. The participants of the event will discuss political, economic, humanitarian and other topics.