China will make a concerted effort with Turkmenistan to deepen the two countries' strategic cooperation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

At a meeting with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Wang said China and Turkmenistan have witnessed remarkable development in bilateral relations since forging diplomatic ties 21 years ago.

The two countries have exchanged frequent high-level visits and continued to broaden cooperation in natural gas projects, he said.

Wang added that China and Turkmenistan have also enjoyed long-standing, stable and forward-looking cooperation in other fields.

The foreign minister said the two nations should make preparations for Chinese President Xi Jinping's "historic visit" to Turkmenistan in September, so as to advance their cooperation in such fields as trade, economy, energy, transportation, law enforcement, security and culture.

For his part, Berdymukhamedov said Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the strategic significance of its relations with China. He expressed satisfaction with the two countries' cooperation in the areas of politics, trade, economy and energy.

Berdymukhamedov said Turkmenistan firmly adheres to the one-China policy and looks forward to Xi's visit. He voiced hope that the visit would enormously boost the countries' strategic relations.

Also on Thursday, Wang held talks with Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.?