The past eventful week, which incorporated quite a number of events of the domestic and international level, was yet another striking illustration that independent Turkmenistan under the visionary and far-sighted leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was striding confidently along the way of progress and creative endeavors, and concern for the people, their welfare remained, as usual, a major aspect of the state policy.
On November 29, the leader of nation conducted a regular online working session with the participation of Mejlis Chairperson of Milli Gengesh, some Deputies Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, khyakims of velayats and Ashgabat city.
The agenda of meeting implied the issues related to socioeconomic development of the regions and the capital, implementation progress of the seasonal agri-works, gentrification and modernization of the country’s main city, preparation measures aimed at celebrating the incoming remarkable dates at a better and high level in terms of organization and content.
That same day, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received the head of the Public Corporation (PC) “Lukoil” V. Alekperov. The sides exchanged opinions on the urgent directions and prospects for bilateral partnership advancement, notably in the issues of the Caspian region’s hydrocarbon resources development.
Having introduced the head of state to the PC “Lukoil” current activity in our country and to the company’s proposals on advancing new projects in the Caspian basin, V. Alekperov has confirmed the Russian partners’ intention to take active part in the large-scale sectoral programs implemented in Turkmenistan.
At that, it was noted that the advantageous investment climate and the generated secure legal basis of the promising Turkmen market were a reliable guarantee for investing to the development of hydrocarbon deposits and construction of the associated infrastructure.
On December 2, President of Turkmenistan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the country’s Armed Forces Army General Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov summoned the session of the State Security Council to listen to the reports of the heads of the military and law enforcement agencies on the outcomes of their 11-month activity.
At the session, information was also presented about the activity of the International Association «Türkmen alabaý itleri» and about concrete steps undertaken to promote development of cynology in the country. Being the members of the International Association«Türkmen alabaý itleri», the security structures use actively Turkmen Alabay dogs in the work of their specialized subdivisions, notably in the frontier troops, in safeguarding of the state’s borders and special objects, at the customs and migration points. In this regard, in plans is together with the Assocxiation to organize special training-staff cynology measures.
In the course of session, the President of Turkmenistan has signed the Resolution on instituting of the Economic Department of the military and law enforcement agencies under the State Border Service to promote further strengthening of the hardware and logistics base and food self-sufficiency of the military and law enforcement agencies, gentrification of their activity in the production of agri-products, in the animal- and poultry-husbandry sectors, in fishery through modernization of the subsidiary production farms on the basis of modern technologies.
On December 3, the head of state conducted an enlarged online session of the Cabinet of Ministers to draw together conclusions from the current year’s 11-month activity of the branches of the national economy complex.
The period under review is characterized by the GDP dynamic growth rate; in comparison with the last year’s similar period, the total output of production increased by 5.1 percent; retail trade turnover increased by 16.5 percent; foreign trade turnover – by 18.6 percent.
Over the eleven months, revenue part of the country’s State Budget was executed by 108.5 percent; expenditure items – 97.2 percent.
In the reporting period, wages and salaries in large and medium-sized enterprises was 10.5 percent higher of the last year’s indicator.
Investing and budgeting of the capital needs and projects at the expense of all sources of financing was 24.6 billion manats.
Having stressed the importance of keeping comprehensive work going to mitigate the negative impact of the by-now situation in the global economies on the economic growth of the country, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has signed the Resolution on the measures for further improvement of the financial-economic state of the ministries, sectoral departments and khyakimliks, as well as for increasing revenues of the State Budget of the country, and has approved the Program on decreasing the influence on the country’s economy of the current complications in the global economy and on the stable development of the national economy in 2022.
In the anti-crisis program, the tasks were outlined on maintaining multi-lateral and sustainable growth of the national economy, raising the efficiency and employment of production capacities, encouraging advancement of the transport-logistics system, widespread applying of digital technologies and advanced experience. Besides, the measures are envisaged of rendering governmental support to small and medium-sized businesses, active attracting of foreign investments, further strengthening of social assistance and living conditions of the people.
The head of state has necessitated activating attraction of investments into the FEC, accelerating development paces of the oil/gas deposits in the Caspian basin, and exercising tough control over construction progress of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. To further modernize the structure of the branch, including its processing segment, it is necessary to build new enterprises.
Displeased with the paces of the current construction works, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has noted that given an increase in the number of the objects to be constructed in the next year, it is necessary to immediately accomplish the changes in the construction complex, expand constantly the production volumes of building materials and funding of the industry, create new workplaces, and apply actively digital system in the production.
Despite the difficulties available, the works are to be kept going on creating of the energy ring system in the country and on constructing of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) power transmission line.
Necessary additional measures are to be developed on rendering governmental support to the private sector of economy, on financial, material and technical motivating of small and medium-sized businesses, in particular – of the enterprises of the tourism industry, the leader of nation highlighted.
Not the least important is to increase production volumes of the export-orientated goods, activate their advertising abroad. It is also advisable to establish large technological companies and firms with high-performance environment and innovatory technologies capable to be self-financed and take development-favored solutions of certain branches.
To further diversify the AIC, the head of state has ordered to accelerate implementation of reforms and adoption of digital technologies in the AIC, pay particular attention to the rational use of water resources and implementation of the ecology projects in the Karakum desert land areas.
As for the education, healthcare and sport spheres, it is necessary to strengthen the measures taken in the frames of the Program of transformations on further improvement of the material-technical and scientific-methodological base.
Touching upon the tasks of the national health system further advancement, the leader of nation has pointed to the intensification of the infectious disease prevention activity through increasing the paces and coverage of the population with vaccination.
At the session of the Cabinet of Ministers, consideration was also given to the organizational measures on seeing New Year in the capital and every corner of the country. In compliance with the presidential assignment, the New Year festivities in velayats – the performances of famous artists, masters of art, and children’s creative collectives, are to be concentrated in the square in front of «Türkmeniň ak öýi» buildings.
The New Year’s family festivities will have to be saturated with uplifted mood and unforgettable moments for the adults and children in the spirit of the year proclaimed under the slogan “Turkmenistan – Home of Peace and Trust” and remarkable for the 30th anniversary of the Motherland’s sacred independence, the head of state said, having exhorted the officials concerned to exercise permanent control over saturation of the country’s markets and shops with different goods and foodstuffs, and first of the first over non-admission of increase in prices.
Taking of concrete steps on further upgrading of the national legal base was regarded as an important condition of ensuring wealthy and happy life of the people.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has also stated that the running year’s 11-month results of the national economy testify that Turkmenistan’s domestic and foreign policy was pursued in strict compliance with the principles of neutrality, peacefulness, good neighborliness, and interest-based cooperation.
All the major events timed to the 30th jubilee of the Motherland’s sacred independence were conducted at a high organizational level. In the running year 73 large objects were launched instead of the 30 projected ones.
As before, in the national economy, high growth rate remains unchangeable – 6.2 percent. In the reporting period, the production growth rate in all branches was in the frames of the scheduled plans. The rates of wages and salaries, pensions and state allowances increased.
Nowadays, construction of large objects of industrial and social-and-living purpose – new settlements and residential houses, recreation and health centers, schools and kindergartens, many other new objects – is ongoing in the country.
At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen control over the implementation progress of the programs adopted; before the year is out to commission all the objects planned. Particular attention is to be given to the development of program of the country’s economic advancement in the next year, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed.
Additional impulse is to be given to the State Program of the import-substituting and export-orientated industries advancement. The untapped potential of industries is to be used more efficiently. Not the least important is to keep going the process of diversification of the economy, enhancement of the gamut and export routes of domestic goods, implementation of the foreign currency-earning plans.
In spite of various changes occurring nowadays in the global economy, for the remainder of the year we are to retain the positive results achieved and increase them in the next year, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.
In the year’s last month, our country will celebrate yet another remarkable event – International Neutrality Day. The Turkmenistan-initiated and worldwide observed holiday is to be well-organized and celebrated in the best way in our country, the leader pf nation strssed.
In the current jubilee year, our Motherland may boast of record-high achievements in all spheres. A number of foremost chief heads, who made worthy contribution to the successes of independent Motherland, were presented with state awards. In this regard, the head of Turkmenistan signed the Ukase on conferring state awards on yet another group of distinguished chief officials.
Last week, the capital’s hotel with business-center “Garagum” hosted the briefing dedicated to the outcomes of the 15th Summit of the Economic Cooperation Organization organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event was attended by the ECO Secretary General, heads of diplomatic missions of the ECO member-states, other foreign countries, reputable international organizations accredited to Turkmenistan, representatives of the national and foreign media communities.
Prior to the event, the ceremony of conferring the ECO’s special award in the category “History, culture, literature, and fine arts” on a representative of Turkmenistan was held.
In the course of briefing, the importance was underlined of the Ashgabat Forum, which by the scope and level of decisions adopted is able to have a constructive impact on the entire geo-economic picture of the continent.
At the ECO Summit, the member-states have dovetailed joint actions aimed at adoption of the ecology-friendly energy technologies; the decisions were also adopted on strengthening of cooperation in combating COVID-19, advancing transport and communications infrastructure in the ECO space, at more effective using of enormous energy resources of the region, accelerating of the negotiation process on establishing of the ECO Free Trade Area.
The speakers have placed special accent on the importance of solutions adopted at the Summit and of its final document assigned to promote activation of the interstate cooperation for safeguarding peace, sustainable development and security in the regional and global formats.
Special mention was made of the historical importance of the Turkmenistan-initiated Resolution adopted by the UN “On cooperation between the United Nations Organization and the Economic Cooperation Organization”.
Conducting of the Summit of the ECO member-states’ heads in the Turkmen capital was yet another visual manifestation of Turkmenistan’s ever-growing global name recognition and worldwide support of the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s constructive initiatives.
One of the priorities of state policy consistently pursued under the leadership of the country’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is the all-round concern for the young citizens of the country, creation of necessary conditions for their happy life and harmonious development, formation of the physically strong and spiritually rich rising generation.
At that, particular attention is given to the children who are in need of special social support. Instituted on the initiative of the President of the country and in tune with presidential Resolution signed in March of the running year, the special Charitable Foundation for rendering assistance to the children in need of tutelage meets this goal in full measure. Named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the Foundation carries on large-scale efficient work. One of the examples is allocation of the “Ambulance” cars to the pediatric departments of etrap and municipal hospitals of velayats of the country.
Being guided by the assignments of the head of Turkmenistan, a number of surgeries were performed on the children in need of tutelage in the capital’s Scientific-Clinical Mother and Child Health Center and in the Mother and Child Health Centers of Mary and Lebap velayats. Nowadays, the young patients’ state of health is satisfactory; they are under permanent care of specialist-medics. In this regard, the President of the country adopted a decision on paying the children’s inpatient treatment costs at the expense of the Charitable Foundation, as well as on covering the cost of medicines intended for young Turkmen citizens educated in the orphanages, specialized schools, and boarding schools.
On December 2, the Ministry of Energy hosted a regular (the 5th) session of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Kyrgyz Commission for trade-economic, scientific-technical and humanitarian cooperation.
The sides discussed the measures on diversifying partnership in the trade-economic sphere and increasing the volumes of the reciprocal trade turnover. In this context, not the least important is adoption of the additional measures aimed at intensification of the export-and-import operations and enhancement of the gamut of goods and services delivered, and at activation of the ties in the sphere of investments, the sides noted.
The sides also evinced interest in the all-round strengthening of contacts in the spheres of industry, transport, agriculture, in the fuel-and-energy sector, etc. In particular, the proposals were avowed on integrating efforts for construction of the transport corridor with the countries’ outlet to the Caspian Sea. In this context, the Turkmen side has proposed to Kyrgyz partners to consider a possibility of using the capacities of the International Seaport of Turkmenbashy for transporting cargoes in the “East-West-East” direction.
At the regular (the 16th) session of Mejlis of Milli Gengesh of the sixth convocation, after consideration, a number of Laws have been adopted, including: “On social services”, “On preventing and combating infectious diseases”, “On hunting and protection of game riches”. Besides, the normative-legal acts developed in tune with the priorities of the policy pursued by the President of Turkmenistan and comprehensive program on modernization of the state’s legislative-legal base were adopted.
Thus, the events of the past seven days have strikingly highlighted the systematic and consistent nature of the steps undertaken by our country to realize the science-based strategic programs of the national economy complex accelerated development initiated by the leader of nation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which are a powerful buttress of the country’s upward advancement in reaching for new achievements and heights of the epoch of power and happiness of the Turkmen state.