The New Year is to come. On the eve of the New Year everyone recollects the events of the passing year, evaluates their significance and builds the plans for future. It needs time to comprehend what has been accomplished during this year. It is the time that puts the facts and events into the place helping us to take an open-minded approach, in the context of the history that is the strictest and fairest judge of our deeds and actions. Nevertheless, we are able and must give the answers to some questions even today.

What has the year 2007 brought? How much important has it been for the country? To answer these questions is easy and difficult. It is easy because the passing year has been rich in the events of particular significance for the Turkmen nation. And it is difficult because they have been many.

Let’s focus on the most remarkable events regarding the XIX Halk Maslakhaty as the reference point. At the nationwide forum the Turkmen people found the new leader, whom they had chosen during the fair, open elections. Vividly evidencing the triumph of the national democracy this event started a new stage in the history of national revival. It clearly showed that the new time, the time of bold initiatives and innovations had come to the ancient Turkmen land.

From the first days of assuming the office Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov showed his worth as a mature politician able to act consistently and resolutely. The reforms he offered to the society pursued the one aim – to achieve prosperity for the Motherland and that is the common welfare and wellbeing, and therefore won the support of citizens of Turkmenistan.

Able to think in a new way and devoted to the spiritual roots of the native people the President dedicated the reforms to the interests of the nation, the vital concerns about the present day and the future of each citizen, each family in Turkmenistan. It is natural, however thoroughly and carefully the plans are considered the human factor finally determines an outcome of any undertaking.

Speculating about the year 2007 we can be aware: the reforms have come to each region of the country affecting all spheres of the life. Social services, science and education, healthcare, agriculture, fuel and energy sector, transport and communications, construction, culture, legislative and financial spheres – each sector is being brought up to world level, the national development programmes and projects aimed at increasing Turkmenistan’s economic strength and improving the living standards have been launched in each region.

For example, the President’s initiatives to develop rural regions – Esenguly Etrap on the Caspian Sea coast, Ruhubelent Etrap in the Dashoguz Velayat, Dovletli Etrap in the virgin lands of the Lebap Velayat are the particular steps along the way of the reforms, the complex solutions to the social and economic problems. These initiatives are aimed at establishing the strong agro-industrial sector, increasing an agricultural output, creating new jobs, developing the social and economic infrastructure and improving the living conditions in rural areas.

In 2008, the first stage of the national programme on improvement of the social and living conditions in small towns and settlements will be launched. The programme will involve all the regions.

It is clear that the dynamically developing country preparing to make a breakthrough to scientific and technological progress and social and economic prosperity urgently needs well-qualified, well-educated specialists. Fulfilling a lot of the important tasks every day, every hour the President attaches considerable significance to construction of schools and kindergartens, general computerization, application of multimedia technologies, provision of an access to internet, training of Turkmen young people in foreign countries, study of the best international practices.

It is acceleration and high quality of development that defines the essence of the new economic development strategy and the guideline of the national reforms. Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov’s creative energy makes the boldest plans take shape. It seems that just recently the President has issued the Resolution on establishment of the Avaza national tourism zone on the Caspian Sea coast. The projects on construction of the sea and air ports, an air terminal, an artificial navigable river, hotels, health-improving centres, water and energy supply units, sports facilities were launched in Turkmenbashi town and its suburbs already.

Turkmenistan is entering the year 2008 with the increased economic potential and the major requisites for further strengthening national economy. The firm foundation for it was laid last year – the remarkable one for fulfilling the tasks of social and economic development. The construction projects to be implemented in the cities and settlements throughout the country within the next few years include museums, kindergartens, schools, high-rise apartment houses and cottages, medical centres and healthcare establishments, parks and public gardens, stadiums, children’s health-improving centres, administrative buildings of the ministries and departments, cultural centres, drinking water plants, desalination units, energy supply, oil and gas and petrochemical facilities, etc.

The total cost of the investment in the construction projects and the contracts for delivery of agricultural, motor and road building machines and equipment and the material and technical resources for the enterprises of the fuel and energy and agricultural sectors, construction, fishing and water industries, transport and communications concluded with the foreign partners amount to billions US dollars!

Having the abundant hydrocarbon resources, occupying the favourable geopolitical location Turkmenistan spares no effort to use efficiently its natural wealth, the advantages granted by the nature and containing the reserves of prosperity and welfare of the Turkmen people. Increasing the economic potential the Turkmen state invites the world’s leading companies to collaborate and creates the favourable investment climate. In this regard Turkmenistan’s position is definite – equal, mutually advantageous and long-term partnership.

The examples include ‘the gas and transport projects of the century’ as the mass media worldwide reported on the Caspian gas pipeline agreement between Turkmenistan, Russia and Kazakhstan, the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline and the transnational trunk railway Uzen-Gyzylgaya-Bereket-Etrek-Gorgan – an important link of the North-South transport corridor. Thus, the transport and energy infrastructure to meet the economic needs of the neighbouring countries as well as other states including the EU member states and to create the prerequisites for constructive integration on the Eurasian continent is being established in Central Asia and Far East.

The last year gave a good occasion to comprehend the strategic prudence of the Turkmen leader’s foreign policy doctrine allowing unmistakably finding the ways to common concord. Electing Turkmenistan Vice Chair of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly, opening the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat and the President’s overseas trips, the agreements reached during the talks and the visits of the heads of the foreign states, foreign governmental delegations to Turkmenistan – each of these events vividly testifies to the triumph of the Turkmen leader’s peacemaking policy.

The accomplishments Turkmenistan has gained in 2007 occupy a worthy place in the glorious chronicle of the Turkmen people, who once more demonstrated to the world what heights the people could achieve by uniting around their leader, purposefully working in the name of their present, happiness of the present and future generations. Much work is to be done, many plans are to be fulfilled and therefore many accomplishments are to be gained. Setting the tasks for the year 2008 at the recent sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers the President emphasized that the ultimate goal was democratization of the society, enforcement of the law and order and establishment of the principles of justice.

To bring the national legislation to meet the requirements dictated by the scale of the political, social, economic, scientific and cultural reforms implemented in the country and in compliance with the international norms and standards is the purpose of establishing the State Commission for Improvement of the National Legislation and the Institute of State and Law. Thus, the legal reform was initiated.

An integrated approach to the use of abundant natural resources, restructuring of national economy ensuring sustainable development of all the sectors and regions, creation of the comprehensive, flexible and effective planning system based on the thorough economic analysis and accurate calculations, profound reorganization of the economic management mechanism, development of market relations and support of small-scale business – these and other measures recommended by the Turkmen leader will promote solving the social and economic problems.

These include strengthening of the national currency that serves as a pledge of the financial rehabilitation of national economy, fosters foreign economic activity and attracts foreign investments into the country. The Resolution of the President of Turkmenistan establishing the new official and commercial exchange rate was An important step in this regard.

Concluding the comments we have every reason to say that the year 2007 has become a landmark in the history of independent neutral Turkmenistan. We will remember it as the year of the token events and changes. The year of good deeds, hopes, dedicated love to the native land, belief in our country, our people!