OREANDA-NEWS. December 28, 2010. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov chaired a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, the last one ion the current year, to sum up the results gained this year in the past year, consider a number of important policy issues and the progress in the preparations for the New Year’s celebrations.

Presenting the meeting agenda, the Turkmen leader heartily congratulated those present and all citizens of Turkmenistan on the coming new 2011 year and wished good health, family welfare, happiness and every success in their work for the benefit of the Motherland.

Then the Turkmen leader gave the floor to Chairperson of the Mejlis A. Nurberdyeva, who reported on the activities of members of the national Parliament, the measures taken to further improve the national legislation and the ongoing work on the organization the New Year’s celebrations in a proper manner.

Focusing on the importance of strengthening the national regulatory framework to meet the goals of the current comprehensive development programmes launched to enhance the country’s economic potential and improve further the welfare of citizens of Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the reforms implemented in the is field should be consistent and comprehensive. The President said that in the coming year the deputies of the Mejlis should work closely with people and carried out a wide range of activities to promote large-scale reforms launched in the country and thus contribute to their success.

Vice Premier H. Muhammedov reported on the work carried out in the sectors under his supervision, in particular including the textile industry, and the measures taken to enhance its export potential and the activity in the trade and services sectors.

Underscoring critical significance of cooperation with foreign partners to foster development of the domestic textile industry, the Turkmen leader focused on the importance of organizing the work aimed at enhancing the export potential of the sector and expanding mutually advantageous contacts in a proper manner. The Turkmen leader focused on the need for a responsible approach to be taken to conducting international forums, conferences and exhibitions in this sector in Turkmenistan as well as foreign countries.

Vice Premier T. Japarov reported on the ongoing work in the financial and economic sectors and noted that on the President’s instructions salaries, pensions, benefits and scholarships for December 2010 had been paid out throughout the country. Also, the Vice Premier reported on the ongoing activities to organize commodity exhibitions of foreign manufacturers in our country as well as exhibitions of domestic goods in foreign countries and the progress in implementing a number of projects.

Underscoring the importance of effective international cooperation for further economic growth, the President focused on the need for substantial preparations for exhibitions and forums organized by Turkmenistan in other countries noting that a responsible approach should be taken to organizing similar forums of foreign partners in our country.

Reporting on the ongoing work in the agro-industrial sector, Vice Premier M. Akmammedov noted that through the fundamental agricultural reform initiated by the President of Turkmenistan, the substantial progress had been made in this sector of the national economy. Reporting on the progress of seasonal agricultural work, the Vice Premier expressed hearty gratitude on behalf of Turkmen agricultural workers to the leader of the Turkmen state for creating the conditions conducive to a happy life and fruitful labour of farmers and cattle breeders.

The Government would take further measures to promote sustainable development of the agro-industrial sector, which had the potential to achieve greater results, said President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanding that seasonal agricultural work be carried out according to schedule and in strict compliance with agronomic standards.

Noting that conscientious labour of agricultural workers was the groundwork for abundance of food products in the country, the Turkmen leader focused on the need to improve the quality of products and increase food production in Turkmenistan.

Vice Premier D. Orazov reported on the ongoing work in the sectors under his supervision and the preparations for the New Year’s celebrations, the programme of sporting events to be held at the Olympic Stadium and the Path of Health on December 29 in honour of the Asian Indoor and Martial Games, which would be held in Ashgabat in 2017.

Focusing on the need to improve the quality of training Turkmen athletes, who would perform in the Asian Games, which would certainly became a landmark event in the life of our country, the Turkmen leader emphasized that these prestigious competitions hosted by Ashgabat would contribute to enhancing Turkmenistan’s international prestige. Giving instructions to the relevant high-ranking officials, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that sporting events at the Olympic Stadium and the Path of Health should be held in an atmosphere of enthusiasm and the high spirit inherent in the Turkmen people.

Reporting on the ongoing activities, Vice Premier H. Mezilov noted that under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the significant work had been done in the scientific sector in the current year and new large-scale undertakings had been fostered. The Vice Premier noted that ten international scientific conferences had been conducted in the country in 2010 and reported on the measures taken on the Turkmen leader’s instructions to encourage international cooperation in the spheres of science and education.

Noting that the reforms in this critical sector of the national economy should be implemented in a consistent manner, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the need to apply a science-based approach to exploration of resources of the Caspian Sea and its coast. State-of-the-art approaches, including intensification of the measures to use widely scientific advances in industry, should be applied in the sphere of processing hydrocarbon and other mineral resources that the Turkmen land was rich in, said the Turkmen leader.

Vice Premier B. Hojamuhammedov reported on the progress in implementing the projects aimed at comprehensive development of the fuel and energy sector. In this regard, the Vice Premier emphasized that under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan the oil and gas industry had made significant progress, the infrastructure projects aimed at increasing natural gas exports to China and the Islamic Republic of Iran in particular had been implemented, exploration activity was continued in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea and the measures to develop the Avaza national tourism zone had been taken in the current year.

Noting with satisfaction that the significant work had been done in the oil and gas industry in 2010, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that no less important goals were set to the fuel and energy sector in the coming year. In particular, the Turkmen leader gave specific instructions to the relevant high-ranking officials to take further steps to implement the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, which would be of great importance for the present and future generations of the Turkmen people and other countries in the Asian region.

The President instructed Vice Premiers B. Hojamuhamedov and G. Mezilov to encourage the activity of the Oil and Gas Institute of the Turkmengaz State Concern on exploration of hydrocarbon deposits in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea.

Vice Premier N. Shagulyev reported on the progress in implementing important transport and communication projects. In particular, the Vice Premier noted that thorough the unceasing concern of the leader of Turkmenistan the significant work had been done in the water transport sector to develop the tanker fleet of the country. The Vice Premier said that the construction of the North-South transnational railway was underway, and the consistent measures were taken to modernize transport and communications enterprises.

Focusing on the importance of taking comprehensive measures in these sectors, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that this would enable to enhance significantly the economic potential and lay the groundwork for further growth in the transport and communications sector. Noting that the Government would continue to provide effective support for modernization of the air, road, rail and sea transport and telecommunications sectors, the Turkmen leader demanded that in the year 2011 the implementation of major projects in these sectors be accelerated. In particular, the President said that all necessary measures should be taken to complete construction of the North-South railway, which would connect Turkmenistan with neighbouring Iran and Kazakhstan and open up vast opportunities for transit of goods between Europe and Asia, by the 20th anniversary of independence of Turkmenistan.

Vice Premier H. Saparlyev reported on the work done in the sectors under his supervision in the current years to implement the reforms initiated by the national leader, the success of which had create most favourable requisites for further development of the health, education, sport and tourism sectors in compliance with international standards.

Commenting on the report, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that these key areas would be always a focus of the policy of the Turkmen state, which had the well-marked social orientation. The Turkmen leader underscored the importance of keeping rigorous control over all issues relating to the promotion of national programmes and current reforms noting that large-scale work had to be done in the following year in these priority areas of national development.

Vice Premier M. Yazmuhammedova reported on the work done in the sectors under her supervision and the progress in implementing the programmes of the cultural actions and New Year’s celebrations.

In this regard Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the need to ensure that the New Year’s celebrations, which were the final chord of the year 2010, were held solemnly and widely throughout the country. From the early days of the new, 2011, the large-scale campaign dedicated to the 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan independence would be launched throughout the country. The Turkmen leader said that this landmark event in the life of our country should be marked with large-scale celebrations, interesting and informative events demonstrating the unity and solidary of the Turkmen people, their aspirations to new heights of creativity and progress, the huge creative potential of the epoch of new Revival.

Vice Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs R. Meredov noted that this year had been marked with many events of particular importance for our country, which evidenced convincingly the success of the foreign policy implemented under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to foster constructive international cooperation for global peace, prosperity and progress. These events included the Turkmen leader’s foreign visits, the results of which had given a powerful impetus to intensify fruitful collaboration with partner countries, the Turkmen leader’s participation in the 65th session of the UN General Assembly, at which Turkmenistan’s new international initiatives had been forward, and in the 7th OSCE Summit, the celebrations in honour of the 15th anniversary of neutrality of Turkmenistan, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Summit, which had launched the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline and others.

The Vice Premier emphasized that Ministry officials and Turkmen diplomats would spare no effort to implement the foreign policy of independent neutral Turkmenistan, which had earned our country playing an active role in tackling regional and global development issues the high international prestige.

Commenting on the report, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the Turkmen state would be committed further to this policy taking efforts to enhance and expand a constructive dialogue on the world arena in the bilateral and multilateral formats, including within the leading international organizations, first of all the United Nations Organisation. In this regard the Turkmen leader put emphasis on the importance of the tasks set to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Summing up the meeting, the President said that during these days the New Year’s celebrations were being arranged throughout the country and gave specific instructions to the relevant high-ranking officials to take all necessary measures to ensure that all festivities and cultural actions were conducted in an atmosphere of common enthusiasm as bright nationwide celebrations.

The President noted that a greater number of the government meetings held this year was stipulated by the more substantial and effective work done in 2010, which turned to be rich in important events. The fulfilment of assigned tasks had become possible largely due to the well through-out and correct decisions adopted at the government meetings as well as diligent, well coordinated and selfless labour of citizens of Turkmenistan. However, the groundwork for what we had achieved by implementing plans and programmes was the people’s support for changes taking place in the country.

The Turkmen leader said that many important and large-scale facilities had been put into operation in 2010 Turkmenistan. These included the second branch of the Turkmenistan-Iran gas pipeline, the gas turbine plant, a number of facilities and buildings in the administrative centre of Altyn Sahra Etrap, new buildings of the universities including the State Medical University, the Turkmen Agricultural University and the State Energy Institute, new facilities in the Avaza national tourism zone apartment houses, schools and kindergartens, health improvement centres and many other medical, sports, cultural and other facilities.

The Turkmen leader said that in 2010 Turkmen agricultural workers had worked hard growing the rich wheat and cotton harvests and overfulliled the state plan.

The achievements of this year included the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. As is known, the TAPI Summit in Ashgabat resulted in signing the documents that would facilitate the construction of this gas main of considerable importance for all participating countries. A new direction of natural gas exports would guarantee the welfare and prosperity to the generations to come.

Thus, said President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, we were able to fulfil all assigned tasks in 2010. Now we are going to meet the year 2011, the year of the 20th anniversary of the independence of our Motherland, which must be marked with new outstanding accomplishments from the early days. Noting that all requisites and opportunities for do that existed in our country, the President congratulated once again the meeting participants and all citizens of Turkmenistan and wished good health, happiness and every success in their work for the benefit of our beloved Motherland.