OREANDA-NEWS. March 19, 2010. In the framework of the Turkmen leader’s state visit to Tajikistan the members of the Turkmen government delegation had a meeting with the representatives of the Turkmen diaspora, the members of the Tajik public organisations, scientists, teaching staff and students of the higher educational establishments of Dushanbe at the Institute of Oriental Studies and Written Heritage of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The meetings with foreign compatriots have become a good tradition that contributes to consolidating the nation in the epoch of new Revival. Moreover, this meeting with the ethnic Turkmen residing in Tajikistan was initiated by the leader of the Turkmen state Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as President of the Humanitarian Association of the World Turkmen puts much effort to establish and develop humanitarian contacts with the Turkmen diasporas residing in foreign countries.

Today, about 25,000 ethnic Turkmen reside in the territory of Tajikistan. Most of them live in the Jillikyol, Kumsanghir, Kabodiyen, Shaartus and Lenin Etrap and the Khatlon and Kolhozabat Oblast. Our compatriots are engaged in cotton and vegetable growing, gardening, work in various sectors of the national economy. For example, 70 percent of the staff of the health institutions in Tajikistan is ethnic Turkmen.

In Tajikistan there are seven schools at which the disciplines are taught in the Turkmen language, six of them are located in Yylykel Etrap and one in Kumsanghir Etrap. 205 teachers teach 2,879 students at these schools. Tajik Turkmen actively study the sciences. Among the scientists in the Republic of Tajikistan one Doctor of Science, seven Candidates of Science and seven advanced students are ethnic Turkmen.

In 1994 the Turkmen Cultural Society was established in the Republic of Tajikistan. It is registered as a foreign branch of the Humanitarian Association of the World Turkmen (HAWT). Sixteen ethnic Turkmen from different regions of Tajikistan are the individual members of the Humanitarian Association. The representatives of the Turkmen community make regular trips to the historical homeland and actively participate in the conferences, festivals and other cultural events held by the Humanitarian Association of the World Turkmen.

They preserve the ancestors’ customs and traditions and carry out the large-scale work to introduce make people around them know about the rich and centuries-old culture of the Turkmen people. Actively promoting Turkmen culture and art of the Turkmen Cultural Society conducts exhibitions, meetings, literary evenings and concerts. The Turkmen diaspora in Tajikistan and the HAWT members with the assistance of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Republic of Tajikistan and the local authorities contribute in a worthy manner to strengthening friendly relations between the two brotherly peoples that is vividly illustrated by the meeting between the Turkmen government delegation and the Turkmen diaspora in Dushanbe.

Opening the meeting Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies and Written Heritage of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan Karomatullo Olimov heartily greeted the Turkmen delegation representing the Humanitarian Association of the World Turkmen, the National Institute of Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting of Turkmenistan, the State Committee for Tourism and Sport and Turkmen media.

During the meeting the guests from Turkmenistan told about the present day of the independent country, the priorities of the domestic and foreign policy pursued by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the large-scale social ad economic reforms initiated by the national leader to increase the welfare of the Turkmen people and their prestige on the world arena.

It was emphasized that a key priority of the policy of national revival was the strengthening of multilateral contacts with ethnic Turkmen residing abroad. The members of the Turkmen delegation noted that today millions of ethnic Turkmen had an opportunity to keep abreast of the fundamental changes taking place in the ancestors’ land in the epoch of new Revival.

Addressing the meeting Head of the Tajik branch of the Humanitarian Association Dovlet Kullakov said that the Turkmen leader’s positive initiatives and policy of peace and good neighbourliness met with ardent support ethnic Turkmen residing in Tajikistan and contributed to enhancing and maintaining friendly relations between the two nations and countries.

The participants expressed deep gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the tireless efforts to enhance the economic strength and international prestige of the Turkmen state and the unceasing concern for the life of the Turkmen communities in foreign countries and uniting the Turkmen all over the world.

Upon concluding the meeting the Turkmen guests presented on behalf of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the books written by the Turkmen leader and the Turkmen classical poets and writers and the sets of national clothes to the representatives of the Turkmen diaspora.