OREANDA-NEWS. March 04, 2011. A meeting was held with Nikolai Botev, Director of the Sub Regional Office for Central Asia of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Karl Gustaf Kulessa, UNFPA Country Director for Turkmenistan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. 

The meeting focused on the priority aspects of further collaboration under the ongoing population and development programmes. It was noted that Turkmenistan’s policy of progressive reforms and changes were fully consistent with the aims and objectives of international organisations in this field.

As is known, the basic source of information on the population by the demographic and social indicators is the census that underlies the national statistics in any country. In this context, the meeting participants focused on the importance of the population and housing censuses to be held in Turkmenistan in 2012. The census data will be incorporated in the projection and long-term development programmes for the national economy, all spheres of life of the state and society.

Exchanging views the meeting participants underscored the need to concert further efforts to intensify contacts between structures dealing with the population issues and discussed the prospects for cooperation in this field.

During the visit to Ashgabat the guests were received at a number of Turkmen ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry and the State Statistics Committee.

The meetings at the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan and the Civil Service Academy under President of Turkmenistan were scheduled.