Last week, the International Conference “Asian Games-2017 – Turkmenistan’s Role in Sport for Development and Peace” was held in the capital. The main aim of the forum was to consider the significance of the forthcoming Asian Games in Ashgabat in the context of the country’s home and foreign policy in order to maximize their legacy and effects not only on the domestic sports industry, but also all the spheres of the society and the state – from the complex of social and economic sectors to realization of Turkmenistan’s peace-making strategy in the regional and global format. This goal was set up by the event organizers – the Executive Committee of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the State Sports Committee of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan by the order of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov. The National Institute of Sports and Tourism, located near the Olympic Park, (the venue for the Asian Games) hosted the conference. Among the guests were delegates from many Asian and European countries. At the beginning of the forum, the head of the Executive Committee of the V Asian Games acquainted the attendees with the work ongoing in Turkmenistan in the trends placed on the agenda at the conference. In this context, accent was placed on the importance of the “Health and Happiness” Month, which had started in the country. Annually organized on the initiative of the Turkmen leader, the large-scale action contributes to enhancement and enrichment of the country’s experience in sports, particularly in organizing and holding mass competitions. As known, on November 28, 2014, Ashgabat hosted a solemn ceremony of signing the Memorandum on participation of 17 countries of the Oceania region in the Asian Games-2017, between the Organizing Committee of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the Olympic Council of Asia and the Oceania National Olympic Committees. The Asian Games in the Turkmen capital are to be held for the first time in such a wide geographical format, with participation of more than 60 countries. This places great responsibility on the Games organizers, requires their well-coordinated interaction for successful holding the large sports event. Then, the floor was given to Vice President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Mr. Wei Jizhong. Having expressed approval and support to the Turkmen state’s sports policy on behalf of the OCA and noted the timeliness implementation of the preparation stages for the Games by our country, the guest spoke about the role of the OCA and its activities, the history of the Asian Games which have been held since 1951 and have become much more than just a sports event, having acquired great socio-political significance. Then, President of the Asian Dance Sport Federation Mr. Keiji Ukai, Secretary General of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union Mr. Javad Mottaghi, President of the Sambo Union of Asia Mr. Alamjon Mullaev, Secretary General of the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee Mr. Park Jeongsang, Executive Director of Operations and Development at Qatar Foundation, the representative of the OCA Mr. Abdullah Al Mulla addressed the forum attendees. The final speech of the representative of the National Olympic Committee of Turkmenistan was accompanied by media-presentation of a report on organizational preparations for the Asian Games to be held in September 2017, and a film, demonstrating the venue for the Games – the Olympic Park, its infrastructure and facilities (which have already been constructed and the ones, which are nearing completion). The main arena of the Games, where the opening and closing ceremonies are to take place, will have been ready for commissioning by June 2016 after fundamental reconstruction. In the afternoon, the conference participants visited the Olympic Park, where they had a chance to see with their own eyes the pace and quality of construction of the enormous complex, to visit its arenas, and become familiar with equipment of special-purpose gymnasiums and multifunctional sports grounds, including the 6,000-seat indoor cycling track. Guests highly appraised the work done and expressed confidence that all the facilities that meet international standards and requirements for large competitions, would be tested as scheduled.