Celebrated in the picturesque seashore of Avaza last week, the Caspian Sea Day holiday turned to be a particularly spectacular and colorful event. Co-organized by the Ministry of Nature Protection of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the State Enterprise for the Caspian Sea Affairs under the President of Turkmenistan, and Balkan velayat khyakimlik, the event’s festive program included a research and practice conference, an art exhibition, sporting events and creative contests. The conference, traditionally held at the “Hasyl” Hotel, was attended by the leaders and specialists of the Ministry of Nature Protection, the State Enterprise for the Caspian Sea Affairs under the President of Turkmenistan , the Khazar State Nature Reserve, the State Sea and River Transport Service, the country’s State Fishery Committee, the khyakimlik of Avaza etrap, the city of Turkmenbashi. Among the guests were representatives of diplomatic missions of the Caspian Sea littoral states accredited to our country – Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, as well as international organizations – the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). During the meeting devoted to the achievements in protection of the Caspian Sea marine and coastal environment in the Year of Neutrality and Peace, the speakers highlighted Turkmenistan’s enormous contribution to tackling the global ecological tasks, including the Caspian Sea-related issues. The ecological policy pursued by the President of Turkmenistan is aimed at broadening mutually advantageous international ecology cooperation, including in the frames of fulfilling the obligations under the Framework Convention, at taking well-coordinated steps towards adopting joint resolutions on protection of the Caspian Sea’s unique ecosystem, its natural landscapes and abundant biodiversity. The conference participants discussed also the key trends of the Caspian Sea-related activity conducted by the country’s environmental organizations. Special consideration was given to such aspects, as preparation of the National Biodiversity Strategy of Turkmenistan, prospects of acceding to the Ramsar Convention of some coastal fenland areas located in the Sea’s coastal area, the Altyn Asyr Lake, as well as other habitats of birds with the status of the protection fenlands of international importance. As is known, the Khazar State Nature Reserve, located on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea, was included in the special list of the Ramsar Convention. As highlighted, a strictly scientific approach alone to the Caspian Sea-related activity will ensure successful long-term development of fishery, harmless to the region’s ichthyofauna. Systematic monitoring of the Caspian Sea’s biological resources and marine environment, wide-ranging research activities in the field were outlined among the topical issues of the meeting agenda. In the context of the conference, its participants highly appraised an ecological aspect of the unprecedented world-class health resort project under way on the Caspian Sea coast – the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone. Organized in the “Hasyl” Hotel’s foyer, an exhibition of photographs by the country’s renowned professional photographers and great lovers of the Caspian Sea’s beauties added picturesque coloring to the festive program of Caspian Sea Day. The photographs featured the amazing and fragile world of marine animals and birds – flamingo, swans, and seals. On display were also wonderful works of young masters of arts and crafts who applied in their artworks natural materials – various stones, shells, sand, feather, etc. Concurrently with the research and practice forum, the children’s health center – “Dayanch”, hosted the competitions in football and volleyball, chess tournaments and other sporting events with participation of schoolchildren of the city of Turkmenbashi and young holidaymakers. In the afternoon, the event participants – both adults and children, gathered in the foyer of the “Dayanch” Hotel to attend a ceremony of awarding the photo-competition winners, whose scenic works reproduced vividly the beauty of local nature, the seascapes and unique wildlife of the Caspian Sea.