BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkmenistan vows to continue to promote productive cooperation with China and expects China's stable development to have a positive impact on global economic growth, Turkmenistan's Ambassador to China Parahat Durdyev has said.

The ambassador made the remarks on Saturday in an interview with Xinhua at the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS).

Acknowledging the traditional friendship between the two countries, Durdyev said energy is the main direction of bilateral cooperation, and that Turkmenistan has contributed to China's economic development by providing clean energy.

"The gas pipe connected us with such a visible, tangible thread," said the ambassador, pointing out that the first energy bridge built from Turkmenistan to China in 2009 is now working effectively, and is contributing to the positive progress of bilateral cooperation in other areas.

This year, bilateral cooperation is focused on the fight against COVID-19, he said, adding that China's successful control of the epidemic and the current CIFTIS offer hope that the same positive trend would prevail in other countries in the future.

"You can see thousands of people communicate here and exchange opinions freely, without any fear that something might happen. This is the result of the work that the Chinese authorities and the Chinese people have done, working hand in hand and helping each other," he said.

In addition, the humanitarian sphere of Turkmenistan-China relations has a serious legislative, intergovernmental and even interdepartmental framework that allows both sides to implement interesting projects, including tourist group exchanges, exhibition visits, conferences and scientific seminars, he said.

The diplomat called China one of the most interesting destinations for Turkmen youth. Many students from Turkmenistan study in China both on the state and private level, and receive a good education, which helps to develop relations between the two countries, he said.

"Turkmenistan and China are reliable strategic partners. This is a well-known fact," said the ambassador, stressing Turkmenistan's readiness to promote productive cooperation with China in the future.

"I have great respect for what China has managed over the past 40 years of reforms, especially in the fight against poverty... I hope that in the future the country would develop at the same positive, even and stable pace in order to increase the wealth of its people and at the same time have a positive impact on the development of the world economy," the ambassador said.