Chinese, Turkish FMs talk strategic cooperation, anti-terrorism

Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu here on Sunday, with the two sides pledging further pushing forward bilateral strategic cooperation in economy, anti-terrorism and other fields.

Wang is in Ankara for the first meeting of the mechanism for consultation between the Chinese and Turkish foreign ministers.

Wang said the first meeting of the mechanism is intended to implement the important consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Turkish President Recep Erdogan during their three meetings since last year, part of which is the agreement on a governmental cooperation committee mechanism at the foreign ministers' level.

As two developing countries as well as two emerging economies, China and Turkey enjoy vast potential and large room for the development of bilateral relations, Wang said.

The Chinese side attaches great importance to China-Turkey relations, and is willing to make a good use of the foreign ministers' consultation mechanism to strengthen strategic communication and policy coordination, to fully implement the important consensus reached between the two leaders, and to promote bilateral strategic cooperative relations, Wang said.

He also expressed the hope that the two countries could bring their respective potential and advantage into full play through joint efforts to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, and boost national and regional development.

For his part, Cavusoglu said Turkey stands ready to further promote its relations with China in economy, security and other fields.

"Turkey highly values relations with China and looks forward to further expanding trade and investment cooperation, pushing forward cooperation in major projects, and strengthening bilateral cooperation in humanistic fields including education, culture tourism," he said during a joint press conference with Wang after their first meeting under the consultation mechanism late Sunday.

Both sides agreed to align China's Belt and Road Initiative with Turkey's "Middle Corridor" project, innovate ideas and methods for cooperation, put emphasis on major cooperation projects such as high speed railway construction, in a bid to realize common development.

The two sides also agreed to deepen cooperation in security and anti-terrorism, build mutual political trust, and support each other in efforts of safeguarding national sovereignty, security and stability.

Both sides agreed to solve hotspot regional issues by political means in safeguarding regional peace. Endi