On December 13, 2009, Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Ashgabat, capital of Turkmenistan, for a working visit to the country.

At about 11:40 local time, President Hu's special plane arrived at the Ashgabat airport, where he was warmly greeted by Turkmen Deputy Prime Minister Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov.

In a written statement released upon arrival at the airport, Hu pointed out that the China-Turkmenistan friendly exchanges enjoy a long history and the friendship between the two sides dates back to more than 1,000 years ago. The friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries have been growing steadily since they established diplomatic ties in 1992. Political mutual trust between the two countries has been growing and their pragmatic cooperation in various areas has been deepened. The two countries have firmly supported each other on major issues concerning the other side's core interests, Hu said in the statement, adding that the two countries have also conducted close cooperation within the United Nations and other multilateral frameworks, effectively safeguarding the common interests between the two countries and their peoples.

Hu said during his visit, he will hold talks with President Berdymukhamedov, at which they will review the development of bilateral ties, sum up experience in bilateral cooperation and discuss plans for the future of China-Turkmenistan relations. They will also exchange views on major regional and international issues. Hu said his current visit is aimed at further promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas. He expressed hope that with the joint efforts of both sides, this visit will surely be a complete success.

Hu's entourage including Ling Jihua, Wang Huning and Dai Bingguo arrived by the same plane.

Chinese Ambassador to Turkmenistan Wu Hongbin and the staff of the embassy also greeted Hu at the airport.

President Hu flew into Ashgabat from Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, after concluding his working visit to Kazakhstan.