The past week was marked by bright socio-political events that confirmed the commitment of Turkmenistan to the course of progressive reforms successfully implemented under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in the era of the Revival of the new era of a powerful state and designed to ensure the comprehensive democratization of state and public life, further strengthening the economic power of the Motherland, increasing the welfare of the people.

On March 27, the head of Turkmenistan held a working meeting on the digital system, at which issues of the development of the agro-industrial complex and the progress of seasonal agricultural work were considered.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, focusing on the need for an integrated approach to organizing the planned field campaigns, ordered to carry out cotton sowing in a quality manner and within agrotechnical terms, and also gave a number of instructions on proper care for wheat, planting potatoes, onions, vegetable and melon crops and on preparing for the harvesting season cocoons.

The hyakims were given specific instructions to control the quality and timing of the construction of various facilities within the framework of the Program for the socio-economic development of the country and the National Rural Program, which are scheduled to be put into operation this year.

On the same day, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received General Director - Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov.

During the meeting, issues of bilateral cooperation in the field of transport, in particular, railway, were discussed.

The head of state called the participation of Russian companies in projects for the modernization and electrification of railways and related infrastructure of Turkmenistan, the digitalization of production processes, as well as cooperation in the field of training and retraining of personnel very promising.

On March 28, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Turkmenistan Ismail Khaldi, who presented his credentials to the head of state.

Issues of intensifying cooperation in a number of key areas were discussed, taking into account the interests of the two countries and the prospects that are opening up. One of the priority vectors of interaction is the trade and economic sphere. In this regard, the head of Turkmenistan noted the importance of holding forums and meetings with the participation of representatives of state and private structures.

The interest of the Turkmen side was expressed in getting acquainted with the experience of Israel in the field of agro-industrial complex, establishing cooperation in the field of the latest technologies for the rational use of water resources and desalination.

Another subject of discussion was the deepening of productive contacts in the cultural and humanitarian sphere by organizing Days of Culture, scientific and educational forums and competitions, using the tourism potential of our states.

On March 29, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, who arrived in Turkmenistan to participate in bilateral consultations through the foreign ministries.

During the meeting, the strategic nature of the Turkmen-Uzbek partnership, which in recent years has reached a qualitatively new stage of development, was emphasized. In this regard, positive dynamics of mutual trade turnover, cooperation in the fuel and energy, transport and logistics, agricultural sectors, as well as in other areas, was noted.

Elections of deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, members of the velayat, etrap, city halk maslahaty and Gengeshes, held on March 26 with high voter turnout, in an atmosphere of celebration and spiritual upsurge, became the most important event in the life of the country. The united Turkmen people once again voted for the age-old traditions of democracy, which underlie the democratic foundations of our society, the current large-scale reforms and transformations.

The preliminary results of this socially significant political campaign were announced by the head of the Central Commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan at a briefing held on March 27.

The meeting was attended by correspondents of foreign and domestic news agencies, electronic, print and other media, international observers.

As noted, over 91 percent of the voters included in the voter lists took part in the voting, without taking into account some data that continued at that time to come from election commissions abroad.

For voters who could not be at their place of residence on election day, from March 16 to March 25, 2023, the opportunity for early voting was provided.

In total, there were 2,644 polling stations, including 42 at the diplomatic missions and consulates of Turkmenistan abroad.

According to the information provided by the Central Election Commission, the elections were recognized as valid.

Elections of deputies of the Mejlis, members of the velayat, etrap, city halk maslahaty and Gengeshes also became the main topic of discussion of the meeting of representatives of the Central Commission for Elections and Referendums in Turkmenistan with a delegation of the SCO international observer mission headed by the Deputy Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Grigory Logvinov.

As emphasized, all stages of the election campaign were held in accordance with the current legislation of Turkmenistan, and the elections themselves - on a broad alternative basis, in accordance with international standards.

The results of monitoring the preparation and conduct of the elections of the Mejlis deputies were announced at the briefings of the observer missions from the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Organization of Turkic States.

The heads of missions stated that the elections held on March 26, 2023 were held in accordance with the Constitution of the country and the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan and with generally recognized democratic norms. They were open, public and ensured the free expression of the will of citizens.

The final results of the elections of deputies of the Mejlis, members of the velayat, etrap, city halk maslahaty and Gengeshes were summed up on March 29 at a meeting of the Central Commission for holding elections and referendums in Turkmenistan, and also considered at a regular meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held digitally on March 31.

Reporting on the large-scale work done to prepare this social and political event, the head of the Central Election Commission said that under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, all conditions were created for holding elections on the principles of democracy, in accordance with national legislation and international norms.

The number of registered candidates was: for the election of deputies of the Mejlis - 258, members of the velayat, etrap, and city halk maslahaty - 2516, members of the Gengeshes - 12098.

All applicants were created equal conditions for campaigning. On the day of the elections, an online broadcast was carried out from the polling stations.

The election campaign was monitored by about 3,000 national observers, as well as representatives of such international structures as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

In general, out of 3 million 496 thousand 368 voters in Turkmenistan, 3 million 185 thousand 935 people voted, or 91.12 percent of the total number.

125 deputies of the Mejlis were elected across the country, 240 members of the velayat, Ashgabat city halk maslahaty, 960 members of etrap, city halk maslahaty, 5897 members of the Gengeshes.

An increase in the participation of women in the political life of the country was noted. They made up about 26 (25.60) percent of the elected deputies of the Mejlis, about 29 (28.75) percent of the members of the velayat halk maslahaty, about 30 (29.58) percent of the members of the etrap halk maslahaty, 28 percent of the members of the Gengeshes.

About 41 (40.80) percent of the elected deputies are young people under the age of 40.

As reported, at the meeting of the Central Election Commission held on March 29, in accordance with the Electoral Code of Turkmenistan, the elections in all 7222 constituencies were recognized as valid.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted the high level of the elections held in the country and ordered to express gratitude to everyone who took an active part in the preparation and conduct of this important socio-political campaign.

The head of state also instructed to analyze the course of the current electoral process and, based on its results, prepare proposals for improving work in this direction, which will be studied, and then the issue of introducing amendments and additions to the relevant legislation will be considered.

The newly elected deputies of the national parliament will begin their duties on April 6. The first session of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan of the seventh convocation will be held in the capital's Center for Public Organizations.

Last week, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed a number of documents. Among them are the Decrees on the appointment of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to Malaysia at the same time as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Kingdom of Cambodia (with residence in Kuala Lumpur), the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Korea at the same time as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Singapore ( with residence in Seoul).

The head of state signed the Decree, allowing the Ashgabat city administration to conclude relevant additional agreements to contracts for the design and construction of 23 nine-story modern houses and a park in the Parahat-7 residential area, along with utilities and roads, with the improvement of the adjacent territory.

The President of Turkmenistan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the country Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed a Decree ordering the opening of a civil defense faculty, civil defense departments in construction work, and the safety of the chemical industry within the established staffing table of the Ministry of Defense at the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Admission of students to the Faculty of Civil Defense of the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction is prescribed to begin in the 2023-2024 academic year.

The President of Turkmenistan signed a number of Decrees on the city of Arkadag, in connection with giving it a special legal status - a city of state significance.

Thus, the hyakimlik of the city of Arkadag of the Akhal velayat was renamed the hyakimlik of the city of Arkadag, the hyakimliks of the Kyarizek etrap and the Gorjava etrap of the city of Arkadag were created, and it was also ordered to form the State Archive of the city of Arkadag in the structure of the Main Archive Department under the Cabinet of Ministers. In addition, the Arkadag TV channel of the State Committee for Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography was created, which will start broadcasting from September 2023 at 15 hours a day, the editorial office of the Arkadag newspaper was established, which will begin to appear in the Turkmen language from July 2023 with a frequency of once a week.

The head of state signed the Decree, according to which the Innovation and Information Center of the Ministry of Education is designated as an institution authorized to carry out the functions of national information centers specified in the Convention on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications in Higher Education in the European Region.

The President of Turkmenistan signed the Decree, in accordance with which an interdepartmental commission was established to analyze the technical condition of the tunnel passing through the territory of the land allocated along A. Niyazov Avenue in the city of Ashgabat for the construction of a shopping, entertainment and business center and its composition was approved.

On April 1, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made a working trip to the city of Arkadag, where he got acquainted with the organizational issues of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship, projects of buildings and the progress of work on new buildings, their decorative design, samples of building materials, as well as a list of services provided to the population.

On March 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a briefing dedicated to the city of Arkadag, the significance of this project for Turkmenistan and the international aspects of its implementation. Heads and representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in our country, international organizations, foreign and domestic mass media were invited to the meeting.

As noted, the decision to build the city of Arkadag, taken in accordance with the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, has become one of the brightest manifestations of the dynamic development of Turkmenistan.

The uniqueness of this idea lies, first of all, in the fact that a new city is being built in one of the ancient places of Turkmenistan, where the glorious history of our ancestors began. At the same time, this city in a concentrated form reflects the achievements of an independent neutral Fatherland in the latest historical era.

At the same time, the city of Arkadag is intended to become a major scientific, educational, cultural and international center of the country. Its construction is carried out on the basis of advanced methods of architecture and urban planning, using the standards of "smart" cities, "green" technologies, and in accordance with environmental standards.

All these factors led to the adoption of the Law of Turkmenistan "On the city of Arkadag", according to which, for the first time in national history, the city of Arkadag was given a special legal status - a city of state significance.

As emphasized, the idea of building the city of Arkadag and its appearance on the map of our country is of great interest to the world community, which is clearly evidenced by letters and messages received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan from foreign states and from international organizations. Among them are those who have already visited the city of Arkadag - the missions of the largest structures of the Community of Nations - the United Nations Specialized Agency for Industrial Development (UNIDO), the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), etc.

Foreign partners noted that Turkmenistan is an example in the creation of such cities, and the city of Arkadag undoubtedly has a great future. As it was emphasized, due to the fact that the environmental aspect is directly related to the factor of health and, in general, improving the quality of life of the population, the concept of a new "smart" city meets the principles of the global movement "Healthy Cities" under the auspices of WHO.

In accordance with the approved schedule and taking into account the soil and climatic conditions, on March 29, farmers of the Dashoguz velayat started sowing cotton, where they mainly grow medium-fiber varieties of “white gold”. In the northern region of the country, for sowing and further care of this crop, there is an extensive fleet of modern agricultural equipment, including high-performance tractors from leading foreign manufacturers.

Thus, the events of the past week once again demonstrated how, under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, large-scale state and national programs are being systematically and successfully implemented, the main goal of which is to maintain the high dynamics of the political, economic, socio-cultural development of the Motherland, further improve the standard of living of the people, ensure a happy the future of the country.