Serdar Berdymukhamedov expressed his condolences on the death of the former chairman of China

The president of Turkmenistan has expressed his condolences to Xi Jinping on the death of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who died in Shanghai at the age of 97. The telegram was published today in the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.

"He has gone down in the history of the Chinese people as a determined leader who has made great strides in social and economic development and raised the country's prestige in the international arena," the message reads.

At this difficult moment, the head of state sent words of condolence and support to the family and friends of the deceased.

Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan, also sent condolences to Xi Jinping. "Under the wise and far-sighted leadership of Jiang Zemin, China has joined the ranks of advanced countries of the world with an advanced rate of development. The memory of Jiang Zemin will forever remain in our hearts," he wrote, conveying words of condolence and support to the family and friends of the deceased.

Jiang Zemin combined the highest positions in the state, the Communist Party and the Chinese army at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Under Jiang, intellectuals and entrepreneurs were allowed to join the Party, and the Chinese economy became the seventh largest in the world. The PRC gained sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macao, formerly British and Portuguese colonies. And it won the right to host the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In July 2000, Jiang Zemin paid a state visit to Turkmenistan. Following the talks, the heads of China and Turkmenistan signed a joint statement. In addition to the Joint Statement, the parties signed a memorandum on the construction of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline and a protocol on cooperation between the China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) and the Ministry of Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan.