Today, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held an extended meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Security Council, which was also attended by the hakims of the velayats and the city of Ashgabat.

Opening the meeting, the head of Turkmenistan gave the floor to the Chairperson of the Mejlis D. Gulmanova.

First of all, the head of the national Parliament, on behalf of the deputies, warmly congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Hero Arkadag on the upcoming New Year, wished that 2025 under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan, together with generosity and abundance, would bring great successes and achievements to our prosperous country, good health and longevity to the head of state and Hero Arkadag.

As noted, on the initiative of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Hero Arkadag has become a good tradition in our country to name him in a modern way every year to commemorate important events related to the history of the Fatherland, its development, and achievements in international relations. Thanks to the implementation of the original traditions of peacefulness and humanism, the significance of the legal status of the permanent neutrality of the Fatherland is growing on the world stage. The foreign policy strategy implemented under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan, laid down by Hero Arkadag and based on the principles of equality, mutual understanding, good neighbourliness, and positive neutrality, finds broad support in the Community of Nations.

Taking into account the proposals received from representatives of the Halk Maslahaty, public organisations, labour collectives and citizens, in accordance with the remarkable poem «Turkmenistan - Homeland of Peace and Trust», generated by the brilliant talent and wisdom of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, following the valuable recommendations of the Hero Arkadag, as well as on the occasion of the adoption of the Resolution «2025 - International Year of Peace and Trust» by the UN General Assembly on the initiative of Turkmenistan, the Mejlis prepared a Resolution on declaring the coming year the «International Year of Peace and Trust».

In addition, the emblem of the coming year was presented to the head of state for consideration.

Addressing the participants of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that every year a motto is proclaimed and an emblem is approved for the coming year that corresponds to modern times.

As is known, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the Resolution «2025 - International Year of Peace and Trust», the head of state continued, emphasising that, based on this, members of the country's Mejlis, together with the people, presented the motto and emblem of the coming year. Having approved this proposal, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced the motto of 2025 - «International Year of Peace and Trust».

This decision was met with thunderous applause.

Then, addressing the participants of the meeting, the head of Turkmenistan noted that in the «International Year of Peace and Trust» the independent Fatherland will widely celebrate the 30th anniversary of permanent neutrality. On the occasion of this significant date, a number of international events are planned in our country and the countries of the world.

To hold the celebrations dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust at a high level, a State Organising Committee has been created, said President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, noting that he considers it appropriate to entrust the Halk Maslahaty with the management of the activities of this Organising Committee. At the same time, it was emphasised that every effort will be made to properly organize all planned events.

The head of Turkmenistan noted with satisfaction that in the year of «Fount of Wisdom Magtymguly Fragi» historically significant changes were implemented in our country. Our people live a peaceful and happy life. The 300th anniversary of the birth of the great son of the Turkmen people Magtymguly Fragi was widely celebrated at the international level.

Continuing the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov reported that he had completed work on the book «Magtymguly – dünýäniň akyldary», which highlights the literary heritage of the outstanding master of words, his enormous contribution to world culture, and the events held on the occasion of the poet's anniversary. It also reflects the high achievements and successes achieved by our country, the head of state emphasised, stating that in this regard, the book is a worthy gift for the native people.

Then the floor was given to Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs R. Meredov, who noted that the current meeting, held at the end of 2024, considered an issue of great importance. Namely, today the President of Turkmenistan declared 2025 the «International Year of Peace and Trust». In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of all participants of the meeting, expressed deep gratitude and sincere congratulations to the head of state and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty.

As was emphasised, this event is a logical result of the implementation of the initiative of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, voiced at the UN and recognised by the world community. As is known, on 21st of March, 2024, the General Assembly of the United Nations, at the proposal of the head of Turkmenistan, unanimously proclaimed 2025 the «International Year of Peace and Trust». The corresponding resolution was co-authored by 86 states.

This initiative is a logical continuation and implementation of the new philosophy of interstate relations put forward by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, father of the nation Hero Arkadag. Today the whole world knows and accepts this political and philosophical doctrine as «Dialogue is a guarantee of peace».

In the coming year of 2025, which will be one of the most significant in the life of our state and society, conferences, forums, competitions, exhibitions, etc. will be held in Turkmenistan and abroad. In this regard, the importance of the proposal of the head of state on the advisability of holding upcoming events under the leadership of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan together with the international community was noted. The Deputy Prime Minister, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured President Serdar Berdimuhamedov that all necessary measures will be taken to organise the planned events at a high level.

The Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs also emphasised that the book «Magtymguly – dünýäniň akyldary» by the President of Turkmenistan, presented at today’s historic meeting of the Government on the eve of the New Year, has become a great gift to all compatriots and the peoples of foreign countries.

At the initiative of the head of state and Hero Arkadag, 2024 is held under the motto «Fount of Wisdom Magtymguly Fragi». During the current year, dedicated to the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the great classical poet and philosopher, his philosophy and poetry, embodying the interconnection of times and civilisations, personifying enduring universal humanistic values, have received wide coverage throughout the world. A vivid example of this is the International Forum held in Ashgabat in October 2024, as well as hundreds of various events held in Turkmenistan and abroad.

On behalf of the participants of the Cabinet of Ministers meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister and the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cordially congratulated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on the publication of the book and wished him new creative achievements, good health, longevity and success in all noble deeds.

Thanking for the kind words, the President of Turkmenistan noted that 2024 is coming to an end, a year that will forever remain in the history of an independent neutral state.

In the past year, meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers, the State Security Council, and various state conferences were held, where important issues of domestic and foreign policy of our Fatherland were considered.

At the same time, it was stated that programmatic activities are being carried out to develop the national economy. Among the achievements, high growth rates in all sectors, timely financing of a 10 percent increase in wages, pensions, state benefits and student scholarships, and the adoption of new laws ensuring the prosperity of Turkmenistan were named.

The policy, based on the principles: «The Motherland is the Motherland only with the people!», «The state is the state only with the people!», is being successfully implemented, said President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, noting that the construction of industrial and socio-cultural facilities, large residential areas continues in all regions of the independent country.

Our neutral Fatherland is consistently developing effective interaction with authoritative international and regional structures, primarily with the United Nations, said the head of Turkmenistan, emphasising that the UN General Assembly, on the initiative of the Turkmen state, adopted a number of resolutions.

Moving on to the issues of preparation for the upcoming celebrations, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov focused on the need to organise duty in all structures during the New Year celebrations. Along with this, emphasis was placed on the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted operation of public utilities, energy and water supply services, hospitals, and stores.

In order to create conditions for a good rest of citizens and a high-level celebration of the New Year holiday, it is necessary to maintain strict control over the observance of law and order everywhere, the head of Turkmenistan ordered.

Concluding the extended meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Security Council, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov cordially congratulated its participants on the New Year 2025, wishing them success in their work for the sake of further improving the social and living conditions of the people and the development of a sovereign state in the coming year.