President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave the greeting address to participants of the Children’s Forum timed to International Children’s Day.

Congratulating participants on opening the forum and wishing them successful work the Turkmen leader says, in particular “Bringing up a younger generation – an ultimate goal. In our country the considerable work is carried on towards this goal. Showing great concern for integrated development of a healthy generation the Government carries on this work in close collaboration with the United Nations Organisation. Also we maintain the contacts with one of the UN largest agencies – the Children’s Fund (UNICEF). This year’s Children’s Forum is an outcome of our joint activity with the UNICEF Office in Turkmenistan.

“Turkmenistan joined the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994. Since then the world community has had every opportunity to make sure that we adhere to the commitments undertaken. Moreover, Turkmenistan joined the UN documents on protection of women and children and rigorously implements them. The laws and legal acts guarantying the rights of children and the right of youth to work were adopted in the country. All that evidence that in our country the concern for a younger generation became a priority of the national policy that is paramount importance

“The utmost is done in the country so that children grow up healthy, physically and morally. The Research and Clinical Centre of Maternity and Child Health Care, the Ene Myakhri centres built in Ashgabat and the regions and other health-improving centres can be cited as an example.

“The large-scale work is carried on to equip the schools with multimedia technologies, computers and the interactive teaching methods are applied throughout the country. In addition, the activity to connect the schools to the internet is carried on.

“The schoolchildren of Turkmenistan actively participate in the international contest of different disciplines including the computer project contests held in the country on the regular basis and win the prizes making us happy.” In conclusion Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief that a younger generation of the Turkmen people would replenish the outstanding accomplishments of the new epoch and turn Turkmenistan into a developed country of the world.