OREANDA-NEWS. March 14, 2011. A tree planting action, which marked the start of the large-scale tree planting campaign, took place in Turkmenistan on Saturday. Over 600,000 trees of various types, including coniferous, deciduous, fruit, ‘settled down’ in the vast expanses of woodland parks throughout the country on that day.

As is known, speaking at the government meeting this Friday, the Turkmen leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov put emphasis on the crucial importance of the tree planting programme implemented at the national level to achieve environmental welfare and create the favourable living conditions for citizens of Turkmenistan.

In this regard the Turkmen leader noted that particular attention should be paid not only to the planting of trees and shrubs in waste lands, but also creation of new woodland parks nearby settlements where they would most benefit local population. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov mentioned the territory adjacent to the Altryn Asyr bazaar built recently near Ashgabat as one of these places that urgently needed ‘green’ improvement. The Turkmen leader said that trees and shrubs to be planted there would give shade and coolness during the hot summer days to visitors and be barriers to sand.

Numerous participants of the tree planting action gathered together in the northern part of the Turkmen capital nearby the Altyn Asyr bazaar in the early morning. This large trading complex neighbours with the Karakum Desert. During this spring days the desert is blossoming and putting on green attire of herbs that will be decorated with the scatterings of wild flower sin the near future. The blooming period in the Karakum Desert is very short, however a manmade oasis, which will please the eye with greenery all year round, will stretch in this part of the city where hundreds, thousands of citizens of Ashgabat gathered together. It was there that the large-scale planting campaign started. Little time will pass, and the crowns of manmade forests that will block the way to the breath of the Karakum Desert will spring up in the areas where there used to be barchans.

The President’s car stooped near the venue for the tree planting action. Its participants were the cabinet ministers, heads and specialists of the departments, organisations and institutions, students and young workers, all those present warmly greeted the Turkmen leader. Following the tradition, the elders addressed the participants of this noble action with words of encouragement for the Turkmen people regarded the planting of trees as a pious deed.

An essential aspect of the large-scale reforms of the epoch of new Revival was the initiative of the national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to turn Turkmenistan into a blooming garden, and a new step to promote which was taken last Saturday.

The Turkmen leader gave start to the planting campaign by planting the first tree. The cabinet ministers, heads of departments, the elders and numerous people of the Turkmen capital followed him. No one stood aside, neither young nor old, and this is a peculiarity of the national mentality, when all make common cause.

There, Vice Premier D. Orazov presented the schedule of landscaping work in the territories around the Altyn Asyr bazaar and improvement of the roads adjacent to the capital, in particular the ring road, to the President for consideration.

Upon considering thoroughly the work schedule, the Turkmen leader instructed to analyse and address the issues related to adoption of introduction advanced technologies for construction and improvement of roads, creation of green spaces and places for recreation. When considering the draft designs, the President gave the specific recommendations to Vice Premier D. Orazov to ensure that the road construction work met international quality standards.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed Vice Premier O. Gurbannazarov to take the measures to improve the quality of services rendered to the visitors of the Altyn Asyr bazaar and organize the work of the bazaar in a proper manner and emphasized that a wide range and abundance of goods sold there should become typical of all store units throughout the country.

Speaking about the traditions of oriental bazaar and its atmosphere of cordial relations between sellers and buyers, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov recommended relying on the centuries-old practices in this sphere as well as modern market relations. Noting that the new bazaar was to illustrate vividly abundance and generosity of the Turkmen land, the President said that trees planted on that day would not only adorn the territory adjacent to the market but also symbolize diligence of the Turkmen people, who were concerned about the prosperity of the native land.

Then President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov knowledgeably told about the unique flora of Turkmen nature to his colleagues. The President instructed Vice Premier M. Akmammedov to take the measures to plan plants endemic in the arid areas such as saxaul, gandym, cherkez, which are widely spread in the Karakum Desert.

The large-scale action reflecting filial love for the land that reared the Turkmen people was conducted throughout the country. The large-scale planting campaign was launched in the southern part of the capital, in wide belts of manmade forests stretching from Anau to Geokdepe, at the picturesque foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains and in all velayats. Over 360,000 citizens of Turkmenistan took part in the tree planting action on that day. Also, the measures were taken to care for about 2 million young trees planted earlier.

After all trees prepared for the action were planted in the outskirts of the Altyn Asyr bazaar, which had been adorned with thousands of young trees, the Turkmen leader bade farewell cordially to the participants and left the venue.

Thus, a new reality is created in the epoch of new Revival – the country with one of the largest deserts of the world and hot sun is being turned into the land of generous gardens, green oases, picturesque parks and forests serving as the living symbols of growth and renewal.