The solemnity on the occasion of the opening of the new section of Ashgabat –Turkmenabat high-speed highway held the past week with participation of president Serdar Berdimuhamedov will enter into the annals of our fatherland as a significant event.

By creating the great Silk Road of the 21st century in the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State, located on the crossroad of the most important trade routes of the continent, Turkmenistan purposefully turns into the largest international transport-transit corridor of Eurasian significance. Optimisation of mutually beneficial partnership in the transport-communication sector with both the closest neighbours and all peoples of the planet in its turn will make a huge impact on dynamics of national economy.

On April 15, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov held an online working meeting to consider the course of seasonal agricultural campaigns in the country.

The head of the state focused the attention on necessity of completion of the cotton sowing at the established deadlines as well as maintenance of proper care of wheat fields according to agro-technical standards.

In addition to it, the President of Turkmenistan underlined importance of popularisation of famous Akhal-Teke horses and instructed relevant authorities to provide a high organizational level of events to be held on the occasion of the national holiday of Turkmen horse.

He gave a number of concrete instructions concerning observation of high quality and terms of construction of various projects within the framework of government programs of social-economic development of the country, planned to be opened in the current year.

On April 16, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Turkmenistan Ahsan Wagan, who presented his credentials to the head of state.

During the meeting, which was held in a constructive manner, a thorough exchange of views took place on a wide range of issues of long-term productive cooperation in various sectors of the economy, primarily in the fuel and energy sector, transport and communications. 

A particular emphasis was placed on trade and economic ties that have great prospects, taking into account the increased mutual interest and complementarity of the national economies of the two countries, which have impressive potential. 

A separate topic was the discussion of the possibilities of increasing the pace of construction of the transnational gas pipeline Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI), as well as laying power lines and fibre-optic communications along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) route. 

On the same day, President Serdar Berdymuhamedov received Michal Mlynar, Acting Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). 

During the meeting, a detailed exchange of views took place on current issues of interaction between our country and UN-Habitat. It was emphasized that the result of this productive cooperation was a number of measures taken to promote national development and achieve the SDGs. 

Having noted that the issue related to the opening of a UN-Habitat Representative Office in Turkmenistan is one of the priorities for our country at the current 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the head of state proposed, as a first step, to organize a visit to Turkmenistan by a group of experts from the UN Human Settlements Program to identify specific vectors of cooperation and develop an appropriate project document that will serve as the legal basis for interaction.

The President of Turkmenistan also made a number of others proposals, including expansion of contacts in the legislative, town-planning spheres and exploration of modern legal methods and mechanisms.

On April 17, the commissioning of the Tejen-Mary section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway into operation took place with participation of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Speaking before numerous participants of the solemnity, the head of the state pointed out that development of modern transport corridors of the country in directions of North-South and East-West remains to be one of the priority goals, successfulness of which in many respects is defined with the 600-kilomter long Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway.

The autobahn, which lies through the territory of Akhal and Mary velayats, will connect Ashgabat with Lebap velayat and allow overcoming huge distance between the capital and the region for rather a short time, providing unobstructed transportation of passengers and cargoes.

As was marked in the speech, Turkmenistan is at the junction of two continents and such favourable location gives huge advantage in creation of international transport-logistics corridor, integration of local transport sphere into the global system and development of trade and economic, cultural-humanitarian links with partner states. In the given context, we will continue to be engaged constructively in the building of highways in the country and formation of international transport corridors, Arkadagly Hero Serdar underlined.

The new infrastructural construction was presented with the certificates of «NEC Telekommunication Ltd.» Japanese company for introduction of innovative technologies along high-speed motor roads», «Grenobloise D’Elektronique et D’Automatismes (GEА) » French company «For conformity to high standards of video surveillance and payment systems on the high-speed roads». 

At once, three international certificates were given by Austrian companies «VCE Vienna Consulting Engineers ZT GmbH"-" “For compliance with European guidelines for technical approval and standards for high-speed road construction”," For compliance with ISO 9001 quality control standards for high-speed roads" and " For compliance of the high-speed road with methodological manuals for German road construction projects RAA 2008, RAL 201”.

After a solemn opening of the section of the autobahn, having taken the wheel of the car and having given his blessing to start the traffic, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov drove on the highway. 

Along the highway the head of the state familiarised with conditions created for work of the personnel of the filling station and provision of services for drivers, examined infrastructural objects, modern devices of safety systems and surveillance, maintenance service points of vehicles and others. 

On the same day, the Mother and Child Health Protection Centre and a residential area -59 tow-storey houses were commissioned into operation in Mary city of Mary velayat under solemn conditions. Besides it, the President of Turkmenistan handed keys to new 200 modern passenger buses intended for qualitative service of residents of the given region. Specialised vehicles were also given to the Mother and Child Health Protection Centre of Mary velayat.

On April 19, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a regular online meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers to consider a number of priority issues of state life. 

Those issues included further improvement of the national legislation system and further development of the inter-parliamentary relations with foreign states.

Measures on expansion of types of digital bank services, development of transport-communication complex, modernisation of carpet weaving enterprises of «Türkmenhaly» State Corporation, the course of seasonal agricultural work and preparation of solemn events on the occasion of the national holiday of Turkmen horse.

For consideration of the President of Turkmenistan, a number of proposals were submitted and having considered them, the head of the state gave concrete instructions on their realisation.

In particular, it concerned modernisation of objects of reception, storages and shipments of liquefied gas made by "Türkmengaz" State Concern as well as adjustment of direct contacts with «Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.» with a view of maintenance of trouble-free work of "Marykarbamid" factory of "Türkmenhimiýa" State Concern.

Having heard the information on the organisation of upcoming significant events of the current year, the head of the state signed the Resolution on preparation of national events on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of independence of Turkmenistan, in conformity with which, the Organizing committee was set up and its structure was approved.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov also instructed the relevant authorities to present veterans of war and mothers, who worked in the country in those difficult years, with costly gifts on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the Victory and Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 and to hold all planned events at a high level.

The results of the working visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Republic of Uzbekistan on April 15-16, became a separate theme of the meeting of the Government.

There the delegation of our country took part in the second ministerial meeting of the Strategic dialogue “Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf - Central Asia” (GCC + Central Asia).

On the sidelines of the multilateral meeting, the exchange of opinions on important issues of international and regional agenda, including those of Afghanistan took place and positions of sides were outlined in these areas.

Among the proposals made by the Turkmen party - creation of the meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Central Asian states and GCC operating on a constant basis, Business Council as well as Alliance of cooperation in the global energy security and steady development and global atlas of steady transport connectivity.

At the same time, expediency of creation of permanent establishments of international structures with a view of adjustments of effective interaction between national governments and specialised United Nations divisions on climatic and nature protection subjects was marked. In this regard, the initiatives of Turkmenistan on the opening of the Regional centre of technologies connected with climate change in Central Asia are especially topical and well founded. 

Besides it, it was proposed to generate a strong legal partnership basis between Central Asian countries and member states of GCC. In this connection, necessity of development of new documents for realisation of the «Joint action plan for strategic communication and cooperation for 2023-2027» was pointed out. 

Constructive exchange of opinions on priority issues of traditionally friendly, good-neighbourhood interstate relations took place during the meeting of the delegation of Turkmenistan with President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Along with it, Turkmen-Uzbek inter-MFA consultations concerning bilateral cooperation in various branches as well as topical aspects of regional and international agenda were held in Tashkent. 

Having focused the attention on importance of the further strengthening of mutually beneficial partnership with Central Asian countries and Arabian states of the Gulf, the head of Turkmenistan gave the Deputy-Chairman of the Cabinet, head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs corresponding instructions.

The meeting also informed on results of XXXVIII session of the Conference of heads and responsible representatives of railway transport enterprises of the member countries of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) held in Ashgabat on April 15-19.

Representatives of profile departments, railway administrations from over 20 member countries of OSJD, including Turkmenistan became its participants. 

The conference discussed a wide range of issues on coordination of work of railway transportation at the interstate level, maintenance of technological unity of network of international railways, co-ordinated formation of modern profile infrastructure, development of contractual-legal basis of cooperation.

Marking importance of an active position of Turkmenistan in increasing in volumes of transit transportations in the region, speakers were unanimous in their opinion on the huge prospects opening in connection with cardinal reconstruction and development of its transport networks, further deepening of constructive international interactions.

On the margins of the forum, meetings between railway departments of our country and OSJD member states took place, a number of bilateral documents and the Protocol aimed at strengthening of effective cooperation of parties for general well-being, and progressive developments were signed.

By the results of the session, the Ashgabat Declaration aimed at strengthening of fruitful partnership and trustful relations with OSJD member countries by the region was adopted.

One should point out that in days of work of the Conference in the headquarters of United Nations in New York city, the Week of sustainable development of the General Assembly of the United Nations was held. In its framework, a high-level meeting on the given subjects took place and the delegation of Turkmenistan also took part in it. The ministerial meeting of the Group of friends of sustainable transport, created at the initiative of Turkmenistan also was held.

The past week at the instructions of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov credentials from the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to Turkmenistan Augusto da Silva Cunha were received in the Mejlis.

The Ambassador was introduced to the main directions of the domestic and foreign policy of our country, structure and legislative work of the national Parliament.

The international scientific-practical conference «Scientific views of the student youth in the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State» took place at the International Oil and Gas University named after Yagshygeldi Kakayev.

The forum organised in a hybrid format, brought together teachers, professors and numerous students of higher educational institutions of Turkmenistan and several foreign countries, which took part in the II Open International Olympiad on Informatics OIOIUS-2024 hosted by the university.

As speakers underlined, Turkmenistan creates all conditions for formation, development and personal growth of young Turkmen nationals, expansion of possibilities for maximum realisation of their intellectual, creative and spiritual potential, active participation of the youth in the political, social, economic, and cultural life of our fatherland.

The international ice hockey tournament, held in the winter sports centre was over with the victory of the Turkmen team «Galkan». Hockey clubs from Bahrain, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan competed for the main prize. 

The silver prize-winner became «ADIHIC-Kazan» (Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation) and "bronze" winner was "Volat" (Belarus). 

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov congratulated sportsmen and trainers with successful performance in the tournament. In his message, the head of the state expressed confidence that the next sports holiday in our white marble coated city has brought a big contribution to the further strengthening of friendly, brotherly and good-neighbourhood relations between people, development of winter sports in the country, promotion of skill and experience of hockey players.

Instructors and players of the ice-hockey team «Galkan» were conferred upon the honorary titles «Türkmenistanyň at gazanan tälimçisi" and "Türkmenistanyň at gazanan sport ussady” by the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan for their big merits in development of Turkmen sports and augmentation of its international authority, successful performance with securing the first place in the international hockey tournament.

Sportsmen and coaches of the team of winners were presented with diplomas and memorable gifts on behalf of the head of the state at the awarding ceremony held at the Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Such were the events of the past week, which displayed the successful activity carried out under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on transformation of our fatherland into a developed prospering state, creation of the most favourable conditions for realisation of the creative potential of people, expansion of mutually beneficial international cooperation and achievement of sustainable development goals.