OREANDA-NEWS. June 24, 2008. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov chaired an enlarged sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers focused on development of the national educational system, further progress of the reforms in this field and preparations for an important campaign – the entrance examinations to the institutions of higher education.

Opening the sitting the Turkmen leader said that the heads of the institutions of higher education, public organisations and mass media agencies had been invited to the sitting to discuss the social issues of paramount importance.

Before presenting the agenda of the sitting the President gave the floor to Vice Premier H. Muhammedov, who reported on the completion of the silkworm cocoon harvest campaign.

The Turkmen leader cordially congratulated Turkmen workers and wishes success in restoring and maintaining the ancient national traditions of silkworm breeding. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed belief that the grain harvest campaign carried on throughout the country and called upon to considerably contribute to strengthening Turkmenistan’s food security would be successfully completed.

Then the President gave the floor to Minister of Education M. Annaamanov who reported on the preparations for the enrollment campaign at the civil institutions of higher education and specialized secondary schools. The Minister reported that 13,800 young people studied at the institutions of higher education and 3,900 – at the specialized secondary schools. This year 667 young people had graduated from the higher educational establishments including the Turkmen State Medical Institute, the Turkmen State Academy of Fine Arts and the International Turkmen-Turkish University, 1,512 young people had graduated from the specialized secondary schools. The Minister informed that the graduates would be placed on jobs at the requests of the educational establishments, ministries and departments. M. Annaamanov submitted for consideration the proposals to increase student enrolment for the higher educational establishments and specialized secondary schools to meet the demand of various sectors for highly qualified specialists and to introduce the new specialities at the educational establishments.

This year 4,000 entrances would be enrolled for the higher educational establishments that is 385 entrances more as compared to 2007 and 1,716 entrances would be enrolled for the specialized secondary schools that is 98 entrances more as compared to 2007.

18 specialities would be introduced at the higher educational establishments. These include the Italian language and literature and the Chinese language and literature at the Magtymguly Turkmen State University; the Korean language and Spanish language – at the D. Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages; agrochemistry and soil science, plant protection, land reclamation mechanization, animal husbandry – at the Turkmen Agricultural University; world financial market, insurance – at the Turkmen State Institute of Economy and Development; circus and variety art – at the Turkmenistan Institute of Culture; international law, international relations and diplomacy, international economic relations, international journalism – at the Institute of International Affairs; commerce, world financial market, industrial engineering – at the International Turkmen-Turkish University.

Vice Premier H. Geldimyradov reported on the work to assist school leavers throughout Turkmenistan in employment. The Minister said that each school leaver would have an opportunity to receive further education at the higher educational establishments, specialized secondary and vocational schools or to start labour activity to meet the current needs of various sectors of national economy in specialists.

Addressing the sitting Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that in the new historical epoch – the epoch of fundamental reforms in all spheres of the life of the Turkmen state and society paramount importance was attached to education and training of a younger generation. Both teachers and youth – students and graduates of the institutions of higher education and secondary schools were to play an important role in implementing the programmes on further development and reforms.

The President said that Turkmenistan relied on priority development of national economy to improve the welfare of the people that remained an ultimate goal of the national policy. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the plans for future were linked to a younger generation. Therefore, the Government adopted the important documents and took the specific measures to create the favourable conditions for the fruitful activity of Turkmen teachers and the successful studies of Turkmen schoolchildren and students and to bring the national educational system up to a higher level.

The President said that the Government made heavy investments to strengthen the material and technical basis of the educational establishments. The schools and institutions of higher education were supplied with computer equipment and advanced education technologies, the buildings of the Turkmen State University, the Turkmen State Medical Institute, the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute, the Turkmen State Institute of Transport and Communication, the Turkmen State Energy Institute and the Agricultural Institute were under construction in Ashgabat, Mary and Dashoguz.

The President said that this year 115,000 children had left schools throughout the country and congratulated them on the start to the new life. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that everyone present at the sitting must do his best so that school leavers would acquire profession and chose the right way. The President instructed the Ministry of Economy and Development to elaborate the youth employment assistance programme for the next five-ten years. The President said set the high-ranking officials of the ministries and departments the task to ensure creation of new jobs. The President focused on the necessity to open vocational schools and military high schools in Turkmenistan. The banks of Turkmenistan should give the lax credits to Turkmen young people studying abroad so that they could pay for their studies. There should be the opportunities to sent Turkmen young people to study abroad at the expense of the ministries, sectoral departments and enterprises that would employ certified specialists upon their returning to Turkmenistan.

The President said that there must be many ways to create new jobs for Turkmen youth, to help Turkmen boys and girls acquire various professions. For example, six-month courses of training and business schools should be opened in the country.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanded that paramount importance should be attached to the problems of youth employment in urban and rural areas and instructed the high-ranking officials to elaborate the relevant approaches. The President instructed the Ministry of Economy and Development to elaborate and submit the relevant programme for consideration within the one month period. The President focused on the necessity to create the database on manpower resources

The President dismissed Chancellor of the S. Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute R. Galaev and appointed G. Mezilov to the post.

Then Prosecutor General Ch. Khojamyradov reported onteh results of the inspection at the Ministry of Railway Transport, the Turkmenpagta State Concern, the Turkmengallaonumleri Association and the Turkmenmallary Association on the procedure of distribution of apartments in the newly-built apartment houses and the serious shortcomings revealed.

Commenting on the report the President demanded that the immediate measures should be taken to eliminate the shortfalls.

The President issued the Decree appointing Ya. Khommadov Minister of Construction and Construction Materials Industry.

Vice Premier M. Yazmuhammedov reported on the fulfillment of the President’s instructions. In particular, the Vice Premier reported on the work to establish the Galkynysh Book Centre affiliated with the Turkmen State Publishing Service and responsible for replenishing the book depositories of the libraries, organisations and institutions throughout the country.

Putting emphasis on the necessity of establishment of the Book Centre, first of all in the context of the education reform the President issued the relevant Resolution.

Chairman of the State Service on Drugs M. Yslamov reported on the activities held in the framework of the week dedicated to International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking celebrated worldwide on June 26.

Focusing on the importance of the large-scale action Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that independent neutral Turkmenistan would actively contribute to the international efforts to tackle one of the most dangerous challenges mankind faced nowadays. Appealing to citizens of Turkmenistan for active participation in the anti-drug week’s activities the Turkmen leader invited the diplomats accredited to Turkmenistan and the representatives of the international organisations to join the action.

Minister of Communications R. Khojagurbanov reported on the preparations for subscription to the foreign periodicals of the social and political, research and technology and trade subject areas. The Minister reported that this September Ashgabat would host a regular session of the Board of the Communications Administrations Heads of the Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications (RCC Board) and a meeting of the RCC Coordination Committee for Informatization which would bring together the high-ranking officials and experts from the CIS states and other countries.

Noting that the Ashgabat meeting would coincide with the Turkmentel-2008 international exhibition and conference to be held on September 24-26 the Turkmen leader recommended that the other ministries and department should maintain this practice that create the vast opportunities for developing the new very promising fields of mutually advantageous co-operation.

Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations N. Atagulyev reported on the measures taken to protect the national market from low-quality goods including those imported, and in particular the Regulations on licensing and sale of alcoholic and tobacco goods imported to Turkmenistan drafted in accordance with the President’s recommendations. Focusing on the necessity of the measures to ensure protection of consumers the President approved the Regulations.

Summing up the discussions Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the significance of the decisions taken at the sitting for Turkmenistan’s advance along the path of the progressive reforms towards international co-operation and the welfare and prosperity of the country.

The sitting was held with the Inner Cabinet and the high-ranking officials of the Mejlis and the vice premiers. The President gave particular instructions on the fulfillment of the designated tasks.