Li Changchun said in Beijing Monday that China attaches great importance to developing its relations with Turkmenistan and will, as always, uphold the policy of "treating its neighbors as friends and partners", so as to work for deepening bilateral friendly and cooperative relationship.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with a delegation of the Democratic Party of Turkmenistan led by its First Secretary Ondjik Musaev.

He said China and Turkmenistan have been good neighbors, good friends and good partners since time immemorial. The people of the two nations have been all along keeping a profound and traditional friendship.

Since the two countries established diplomatic ties 12 years ago, bilateral relations have progressed smoothly, with a huge cooperation potential and broad prospects in all fields, he said.

Li also spoke positively of inter-party exchanges between China and Turkmenistan, noting that the CPC is willing to continue its efforts to strengthen and consolidate the relationship with the Turkmenistan Democratic Party and make contributions to developing the relations between the two nations in a new period on the basis of four principles of inter-party exchanges.

Musaev conveyed Turkmenistan President Saparmurad Atayevich Niyazov's cordial greetings to Chinese President Hu Jintao and other state leaders.

He spoke highly of the CPC for timely and successfully holding the Third International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and expressed his heartfelt congratulations.

The Turkmenistan Democratic Party values very much the friendly relationship with the CPC and is willing to further consolidate and enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two parties, so as to boost the relationship of mutual benefit and cooperation between the two countries, he said.

At the invitation of the CPC, the Turkmenistan Democratic Party delegation attended the ICAPP held here from Sept. 3 to 5.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2004)