Like the previous this week was abundant in the important domestic and political events. Intensity of the international interest in our country, where the issues able to change the economic map of the Eurasian continent are being decided allows judging about the scale and significance of the events taking place in Turkmenistan

The undoubted progress achieved in the relations with the international community to a larger extent is conditioned by the geopolitical location of Turkmenistan that has become the centre of international ties in both Europe and Asia, our country’s huge reserves of natural resources guaranteeing the worthy life to the people. The fact that President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov’s consistent, purposeful activity aimed at ensuring sustainable peace and common wellbeing underlies this success and other achievements of Turkmenistan’s policy of good neighbourliness is uncontestable.

Construction of the Uzen-Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek-Gorgan transnational railway started last Saturday in Bereket vividly exemplifies practical implementation of the Turkmen leader’s initiatives based on mutual benefit and reciprocal interest. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, the high-ranking officials of Kazakhstan and Iran took part in the ceremony of laying the first rails of the steel trunk railroad called upon to be an important link of the new north-south transnational corridor. Speaking at the ceremony the guests expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the governments and peoples of their countries to the President of Turkmenistan for his vigorous efforts to promote the project the idea of which had been generated by the Turkmen leader’s prudence and sagacity.

Focusing on an urgent demand for the project, its financial viability and profound social significance Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov put emphasis on that it would be connected to the transportation network of Europe and Asia. Thus, Turkmenistan wall become an important transportation centre of the continent that will bring the substantial economic benefit from transit traffic and promote furthering international co-operation.

In other words, the new transport corridor, which will connect the countries of the region in the third millennium, will be of vital importance for each country and promote constructive integration on terms of real economic benefit and equal partnership. IRI President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said about it in his message to Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov on occasion of opening the specialized exhibition of the goods of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which had brought together 80 leading Iranian companies in Ashgabat. Emphasizing that Turkmenistan ranked among Iran’s good neighbours the Iranian leader noted that the profound economic potential and favourable geographical location enabled Turkmenistan and Iran to expand considerably partnership through developing the railway and motorway networks in particular.

The commitments under the projects on construction of the North-South transport corridor and the Caspian pipeline and modernization of the existing gas transportation system were a focus of the Turkmen-Kazakh talks in Ashgabat and the regular meeting of the Turkmen-Kazakh commission for economic co-operation

The visit of the Kazakh representative delegation to the Turkmen capital resulted in issuing the bilateral protocol that specified the important trends of further interaction in accordance with the top-level agreements. Emphasis was put on both countries’ readiness to expand and diversify mutually advantageous trade and economic co-operation in the fuel and energy sector, agriculture and fish industry, tourism, transport and communications in particular.

The Turkmen-Russian talks held in the Turkmen capital last week vividly evidenced the Turkmen leader’s farsighted policy. The partners issued the Agreement, in accordance with which Gazprom was to buy 50 billion cubic metres of Turkmen natural gas in 2008 and 2009. In this regard Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted that the talks with Gazprom demonstrated the mutual willingness to bring interaction in the energy sector up to a higher level that was proved by the agreement on the price policy. The terms of Turkmen gas exports will be regularly revised and the price for energy resources will be set in accordance with the internationally recognized formula i.e. on the basis of the changing conditions on the world energy market. The reciprocal endeavours to accelerate the Caspian pipeline project testify to healthy pragmatism, common sense and timely decisions underlying the relations with Russia’s business circle.

The Uzen-Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek-Gorgan transnational railway is of crucial importance for the social and economic development of the Turkmen section of the Caspian Sea – in regard to the changes taking place in the region. It will open – in both direct and figurative meanings – a broad road for accelerated development of offshore oil and gas deposits and mineral resources in Garabogazgol, construction of new settlements, enterprises of construction and metal mining industries, power transmission lines and numerous engineering facilities that will enable to create thousands of new jobs in the region.

The railway is paramount importance for the partners that will develop the sanatoria and health resorts in the Caspian region. To date, over 40 large foreign companies have informed of their readiness to take part in the presentation of the Avaza development projects. Over 10 of them intend investing in the projects.

The talks of the President of Turkmenistan and the representative delegation of the International Energy Agency (IEA) evidenced the progress that Turkmenistan had achieved in exporting its strategic product – hydrocarbon resources to world markets. The IEA high-ranking representative expressed intense interest in establishing the constructive contacts with Turkmenistan as a state having the colossal energy resources and playing the key role in the strategic Caspian region.

The last week was marked with other important events in the national policy. At the sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers the reform in the national financial system had been initiated. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized that the fundamental economic reform implemented in the country to introduce the economic management forms and methods applied worldwide urged to comply the national financial system, and the banking system in particular, with the modern requirements. The Turkmen leader set the tasks to improve and coordinate the activities of the banking structures that would condition the success of the reforms and to foster the entrepreneurial activity and to support the class of private producers – the most active group of the society ensuring its progress to a larger extent.

The important issues of the national policy include development and improvement of the Turkmen capital. Despite the progress and accomplishments in the framework of the urban development programme in Ashgabat there were still many defects and shortcomings that the Turkmen leader focused on during the serious, constructive and for the most part impartial dialogue about the city’s present and future. The main conclusion the President made – everyone was responsible for the main city’s fate – those who built it, who governed it and who lived in it.

Awarding the diploma of Honorary Doctor of Science of the High School-Institute of Privatization and Entrepreneurship is the fact that speaks for itself. The honorary title was awarded to Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov for the services in reforming national economy and implementing the large-scale development programmes on the basis of wide international co-operation with the United Nations agencies in particular.

This tremendous work reflected every undertaking of the Turkmen leader, with whom the modern history of Turkmenistan and the future of the country heading for the heights of economic, scientific and technical, social progress were associated.