A sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan

On October 6, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov chaired a sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers to consider the current top priority issues of the national policy.

Opening the sitting the Turkmen leader noted that on that day the Turkmen people commemorated the mournful date of the national calendar – Commemoration Day honouring the blessed memory of the courageous ancestors, whose lives had been stopped all of a sudden by the merciless disaster. Maintaining the ancestors’ spiritual traditions the Turkmen people remember the events of the terrifying 1948 Ashgabat earthquake that fill the hearts of the Turkmen people with persistent bitterness and pain dozens of years later.

Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that the memory of 176,000 our compatriots wad sacred over many generations, the Turkmen people carefully maintained and handed down the spiritual principles of the Turkmen nation.

Touching upon the agenda issues Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov briefed on the outcomes of the official visit to Tajikistan. Putting emphasis on the effectiveness of the Turkmen-Tajik talks, the long-term bilateral agreements the President instructed the relevant departments to ensure the high organisational level of the return visit of President of Tajikistan Emomali Rakhmon to Turkmenistan scheduled for December.

The Vice Premiers reported on the work done in the sectors under their supervision in the period.

Vice Premier T. Tagiev reported on the work done in the fuel and energy sector. Commenting on the report the Turkmen leader noted that efficient development of Turkmenistan’s abundant hydrocarbon recourses was of paramount importance for successful implementation of the large-scale social and economic reforms as well as the international commitments in the energy sector. In this context the President instructed the relevant high-ranking officials to take the necessary measures to accomplish the National Oil and Gas Industry Development Programme that specified the strategic directions and tasks of development of the leading sector of national economy.

Vice Premier H. Saparliev reported on the progress of the educational reform. H. Saparliev informed the Turkmen leader on the implementation of the recent agreements related to the studies of the Turkmen students abroad. Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted that wide international co-operation in the humanitarian sphere stood as a key factor for development of the national education system and emphasized the necessity of intensifying collaboration with the world’s large research and educational centers. The Turkmen leader said that the Turkmen young people who graduated from the foreign educational establishments should be engaged in the sectors urgently demanding for well-qualified specialists.

Vice Premier G. Ahirov reported on the progress in the sphere of transport and communications and informed the Turkmen leader on the implementation and elaboration of the important projects in that sphere. Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov instructed G. Ashirov to take the proper approach to the tasks set to the leading sectors of national economy and to intensify the work to advance the priority projects and undertakings which were to considerably contribute to implementation of the national social and economic development strategy. In particular, the President instructed to improve the work of public transport.

Vice Premier N. Shaguliev reported on the construction projects to be put into operation on the eve of Independence Day. Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that the newly-constructed buildings should be put into operation without delay and any defects.

Vice Premier M. Yazmuhammedova reported on the preparations for the Independence Day celebrations. M. Yazmuhammedova reported that the work was being done in accordance with the schedule and the programme of festive events published in the national newspapers. Emphasizing the significance of the remarkable date as a milestone in the history of the native land, the Turkmen people and the biography of each citizen of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov instructed the relevant high-ranking officials to arrange the celebrations throughout the country at the high level.

Speaker of the Mejlis A. Nurberdieva reported on the work related to the successive implementation of the constitutional reform. The Speaker of the Mejlis informed that the parliamentarians actively contributed to enhancement of the local authorities – gengeshlik, the preparations for the elections to the people’s councils – halk maslakhaty in the provinces and Ashgabat.
Putting emphasis on the paramount importance of the solid legal foundation for accomplishing the national reforms in compliance with the norms of international law Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov focused on expansion of the rights and authorities of farmers associations. The President emphasized that the issues related to the financial and material and technical sustainability of farmers associations to ensure effective fulfilment of the economic tasks, comprehensive implementation of the interests of agricultural producers should be thoroughly considered.

Vice Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs R. Meredov reported on the preparations for the international meetings and talks aimed at implementing Turkmenistan’s foreign-policy strategy. R. Meredov informed that EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania were visiting Ashgabat the following week. The Minister of Foreign Affairs reported on the issues related to the Caspian Summit, which would be held in Tehran on October 15-16.

Upon concluding the sitting Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov instructed the Vice Premiers to analyze the work of the sectors under their supervision to speed up development of the leading sectors of national economy in compliance with the designated tasks. The Turkmen leader informed that the efforts and national economic and social development within nine months of the current year would be summed up at the next sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers.