Colorful celebrations the past eventful week started with were a striking demonstration of the inviolable and everlasting values, which underlay Turkmenistan’s policy of openness and respect for the interests of different nations, active position of peacefulness, and spiritual richness of the nation buttressed by grandiose achievements of the era of Revival of New Epoch of the Powerful State.

The corollary of it were the festivities in honor of the National Spring Holiday – International Novruz Day, countrywide celebrated in the atmosphere of elevated inspiration and joy.”The Holiday has firmly got used to the life of not only Turkmen people, but also of all nations of the East; nowadays it symbolizes the triumph of peace, humanism and fraternity. Being a symbol of revivification, blossom and revamp, Novruz closes ranks of the nations, unifying them and developing trust-based relations. Good neighborliness, interest-based ties, trust-based relations – are the basic principles of Nozruz”, - President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed in the Congratulatory Address to the nation.

Having co-opted lofty spiritual-moral values and folk traditions included into the UNESCO List of Immaterial Cultural Heritage, Novruz Holiday is an eloquent example of the millennium-old synthesis of cultures, in which the ancient rites and customs are mixed with musical heritage and modern art to develop then into the impressive and national festivity.

Thus, on the Karakum-River bank, an improvised township was arranged, which reciprocated in major details the Turkmen traditional setup; performed to the stirring music, the dances and songs set the tone for the uplifted atmosphere of the festivities. Behind the symbolic gates, a large Turkmen village was built, with yurts and trestle beds, household yyards with domestic animals, cauldrons filling the village with smoke, eastern bazaar with flowery stands, quick-tongue barkers and artists. 

On the last week, the inflow of congratulatory letters and telegrams from all over the country and beyond addressed to the head of state Serdar Berdimuhamedov was ongoing on the occasion of his accession to office of President of Turkmenistan. Being an important landmark in the history of Turkmenistan, conducted on the broad alternative basis and democratic principles, the Presidency elections were a true demonstration of invariable adherence to the national principles of unity and solidarity, the messages noted.

On March 24, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the festivities on the occasion of commissioning of one more cottage complex named after Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov of the Interior Ministry in the residential complex Choganly, Bagtyyarlyk etrap of the capital.

In the administrative building of the complex, where the Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov Museum is located, the head of state paid tribute to his grandfather, honorary veteran of the Interior Ministry bodies. Opened on November 20, 2020, the Museum is the collection of archive materials, copies of various documents, ID papers, including state award and military rank prize papers. Besides, the exposition represents also the photographs of cars and motor-equipment, which were employed by the President’s grandfather in the years of his service in the Interior Ministry bodies, the materials from the family archives of Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the photographs, which tell about social activity of Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov, particular place is assigned to his poems. 

The fact is known that throughout the years of service, the grandfather of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov was seven times decorated with high state awards and presented with “Internal Troops Defense Meritorious Service” breastplate. Having completed in 1982 the service in the Interior Ministry system in the rank of lieutenant colonel and continuing his labor activity in the structures of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, he now is a true example for the young generation of Turkmen soldiers, who are fostered in the spirit of patriotism and boundless loyalty to the Motherland and native people.  

Having visited one of the new comfortable houses, the head of state noted that all-round concern for welfare of the people, each and every one of us, – are the key aspects of cardinal transformations carried out in the country in the modern epoch; the present festive event is an eloquent corollary of it.

The holiday program arranged in the new houses’ landscaped and improved neighborhoods included various hand-to-hand fights of palvans in goresh wrestling, competitions of young athletes, national games with the participation of representatives of law enforcement agencies, demonstration of Alabay dogs and Akhalteke horses bred in the relevant center and complex of the Interior Ministry.        

 While getting acquainted with the produce grown in the subsidiary farms of the military and law enforcement agencies, the head of state has noted the necessity of taking in the future of the appropriate measures on improving the activity of the departmental subsidiary farms. In this regard, concrete presidential assignments were addressed to the chief heads of military and law enforcement structures.

On March 25, in the course of the online session of the Cabinet of Ministers, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov signed the Resolution “On approval of the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan” – 9 Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, 17 ministers, and 20 heads of the sectoral departments.

The head of state has concentrated attention of the appointed Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers on the primary tasks on ensuring high dynamics of economic growth, social welfare, protection of rights and interests of citizens, which were enshrined in the Program “Revival of new epoch of the powerful state: National Program of Turkmenistan’s socioeconomic development in 2022-2052”.

In this context, the banking sphere will have to increase investment funds, strengthen works on crediting the production sector of economy, and expand interaction with international financial structures.

Development of the concept of the country’s digital education system is the task of primary importance in the sphere of education. 

Creation of conditions for wider popularization among the population of cultural values, spiritual and moral development of personality, increase of the role of culture in economic transformations are the priority directions of work of the new Government.

In the oil/gas sector, key vectors of activity include: continuation of construction of the “Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India” transcontinental gas pipeline, construction and development of the large gas deposit “Galkynysh” and other promising oil/gas fields.

The agrarian sector is to be concentrated on the increase of production volumes of major agri-produce at the expense of improving land-farming culture, on widespread adoption of science-based methods, economical and rational use of water resources.

Continuation of large-scale construction project Ashgabat-city and turning the Turkmen capital into one of the most beautiful and well-planned cities of the world are the predominant tasks in the construction sphere.

To successfully cope with the task set in front of the industrial complex – to turn our country into the industrially developed power, it is necessary to attract foreign investments as much as possible, create joint ventures, develop electronic industry, upgrade and revamp the textile industry.

Increase of export, enhancement of foreign economic ties, promotion of the Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Union, intensification of the information-marketing activity of the State Commodities and Raw Materials Exchange – are among the key development-favored directions in the sphere of trade and entrepreneurship.

Modernization and construction of railways and airports in tune with world standards, completion of construction of the airport in the settlement of Jebel are among the tasks of priority in the transport-communications complex.

Advancement of high-record sports and mass physical culture and sport movement was declaimed by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov as one of the priority directions of the reform-based policy aimed at strengthening of the people’s health, formation of the physically strong and spiritually rich youth, at the upward comprehensive and diversified development of the state and social life of the country notable for not only high economic but also for spiritual and creative potential.

Attention of the country’s diplomatic corps is to be concentrated on the steady putting into life of the Concept of our neutral state’s near-term foreign-policy course, the crux of which is in the development of constructive partnership with reputable regional and international organizations. 

In the course of session, information was avowed on participation of our country’s delegation (on March 15 of the current year) in the 61st plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly 76th session. On the initiative of our country, the Resolution “Integration of mass cycling traffic into the public transport system for achieving sustainable development” (co-authored by 62 states) was unanimously approved’. 

The Resolution of the UN General Assembly calls to set in motion the cycling sport potential to realize the SDGs for the period until 2030. To successfully tackle this task of global importance, the document proposes – in association with international and social organizations, sport federations to develop the relevant International “Road Map”.

Particular importance in the Resolution is attached to the cycling traffic in achieving of the goals in the climate change sphere, environment protection, rational nature management, and ensuring ecology safety. In this regard, it is proposed to integrate the efforts of the UN Environment Program, UN-HABITAT, and Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Culture and Sports (CIGEPS) for conducting in 2022 of the International conference dedicated to the role of bicycle in sustainability and ecology of the urban transport system.

It is also proposed, in April of the running year, in association with the World Health Organization to organize mass cycle race in compliance with the relevant standards of the hygiene and disease service.  

Besides, at that session, Turkmenistan was declared eligible for the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) membership for the period 2022-2028. In the context of realization of “Program of Turkmenistan’s foreign-economic activity in 2020-2025” and “Turkmenistan’s foreign-trade strategy in 2021-2030”, the Vice-Premier, MFA Minister has stressed the importance of our country’s acceding to UNCITRAL. In this regard, accession of Turkmenistan to the Convention on recognizing of arbitration awards (signed in New York in 1958) and Convention on the purchase contracts (signed in Vienne in 1980), as well as solving of the tasks ensuing from the State Program on digital economy development in Turkmenistan in 2021-2025, are regarded as advisable. 

On March 25, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Chairman of the TURKSOY Elders Council Binali Yyldyrym who arrived in Turkmenistan as the head of a representative delegation.

Grateful for the opportunity of face-to-face encounter, the guest conveyed cordial words of greetings from President of the Turkish Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and, taking advantage of the opportunity, offered congratulations to the head of the Turkmen state on his convincing victory in the March-12 Presidency elections and on assuming office. The distinguished guest has also extended to the head of Turkmen state wishes of great success in his large-scale activity on the highest state position. 

Having highlighted that Turkmenistan attaches particular importance to the development of traditionally friendly bilateral relations, regards Turkey as a sincere friend, reliable partner and like-minded person in resolving of numerous focal issues of regional and international policy, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov was pleased to note the productivity of cooperation established in the political-diplomatic, trade-economic, cultural-humanitarian spheres.

On March 23, in compliance with the schedule approved at the March-10 session of the Cabinet of Ministers, cotton-growers of Akhal, Balkan, Lebap, and Mary velayats have embarked on the important agri-campaign – cotton-seeding.

Prior to the campaign, a series of agri-seminars was organized in velayats, which implied such issues, as: well-organized and timely implementation of the cotton-seeding campaign; observance of agri-technical standards in every phase of the campaign; raising of crop yields; improvement of amelioration state of land areas; rational use of land and water resources; plant protection, pest and weeds control. Moreover, the exhibitions were arranged of agri-machinery and equipment, of the products manufactured by the AIC agri-food enterprise. Artists and folk-choreographic collectives of velayats prepared creative-artistic gifts for cotton-growers.

Thus, the last week’s events have demonstrated far-sightedness and efficiency of the state policy pursued under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov aimed to increase the nation’s spiritual potential, ensure steady realization of long-term reform-based programs, due to which our country is striding confidently towards new heights of progress.