(17 Jul 2007)
1. Wide of Chinese President Hu Jintao and Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov walking up onto stage for welcoming ceremony
2. Medium of Jintao and Berdymukhammedov
3. Wide of welcoming ceremony
4. Close of Turkmenistan flag
5. Wide of the two presidents walking in front of honour guards
6. Medium of the two presidents walking in front of honour guards with pan to honour guards
7. Wide of conference room
8. Close of Chinese President Hu Jintao listening
9. Medium of Turkmen delegation with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov listening
10. Close of Berdymukhammedov speaking
11. Wide of conference room
STORYLINE:
The President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov began a three-day official visit to China on Tuesday.
It is his first visit to China since taking office on February the 14th, according to the president's press service.
Berdymukhammedov was greeted by the Chinese President Hu Jintao and a guard of honour was presented to him as part of a welcoming ceremony.
The Turkmen President is set to hold several rounds of talks with Hu Jintao.
His visit follows the signing of an agreement on a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China and sales of natural gas, made last year when former Turkman President Saparmurat Niyazov visited China.
The Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline is due to launch in 2009, with the agreement between the two countries envisaging sales of 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year for 30 years.
The Turkmen government told the press agency Itar-Tass that the two countries had been holding talks on joint exploration and development of gas fields.
Turkmenistan already supplies gas to Russia and Iran, with whom 25-year agreements have been signed.
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