OREANDA-NEWS. November 24, 2008. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov chaired a sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers to sum up the Turkmen leader’s official visits to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Austria and to consider the priority issues of the current national policy.

Opening the sitting the President said that the good news had come from the cotton fields testifying to the diligence and mastership of Turkmen farmers who enhanced the economic strength of Turkmenistan. Mary cotton growers had reported on the fulfillment of the contractual obligations on cotton production.

Mary Velayat Khyakim K. Gurbanov reported that cotton growers had picked 306,000 tons of strategic raw materials.

On behalf of the people of the Mary Velayat the high-ranking official expressed gratitude to Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the profound assistance to agricultural workers and the unceasing concern for their needs.

Cordially congratulating cotton growers on the remarkable victory the President said that it was a result of the work carried on throughout the country to fundamentally reform agricultural sector including task-oriented assistance to farmers and procurement of equipment, machines, fertilizes.

Highly appreciating the contribution of cotton growers of Oguzkhan, Tahtabazar and Karakum Etraps who were the first to meet the contractual obligations to the achievement of the high results the Turkmen leader wished agricultural workers great labour results, good health and family wellbeing.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the importance and significance of the official visits to the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Austria. Highly evaluating the results of the talks with the leaders of these countries, the heads of the governments and the large international organisations the President focused on the exceptionally constructive, businesslike atmosphere of the meetings and the fruitful exchange of views on the approaches to maintaining peace and security in the region as well as all over the world, ensuring energy, ecological and food security. The Turkmen leader said that the agreements achieved during the visits cemented the intergovernmental relations, specified the trends in further development of partnership with the European countries and large companies whose expertise and state-of-the-art technologies were of great demand un rapidly developing Turkmenistan.

Then the Vice Premiers who had accompanied the President on the visits to Europe reported on the results on the intergovernmental talks.

Vice Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs R. Meredov reported on the results of the meetings with the European counterparts and the worldwide respond to the results of the Turkmen leader’s voyage to Europe. The Minister focused on the historic significance of the visits as a critical landmark of successful implementation of the Turkmen leader’s foreign policy strategy aimed at strengthening the bridges of friendship with all countries worldwide and winning Turkmenistan a worthy place on the world arena. R. Meredov reported on the schedule of he visits of the foreign high-ranking delegations to Ashgabat and the preparations for the Turkmen-Azerbaijani-Turkish summit which would be held this November.

Vice Premier M. Yazmuhammedova reported that the workers of culture and art who had accompanied the Turkmen leader on the trips to Europe represented Turkmen art and culture abroad in a worthy manner. The Vice Premier noted that the performances presented by the Turkmen artists in Vienna and the unique museum expositions had aroused sincere interest among the art connoisseurs in Europe and were a success.

Vice Premier T. Tagiev reported on the talks with the top managers of the German and Austrian companies and the concrete proposals to establish mutually advantageous partnership. The Vice premier emphasized that the business circles in Germany and Austria expressed intense interest in co-operating with Turkmenistan as a country with the profound economic potential and the favourable conditions for doing business. This interest increased after the results of the international audit of the group of deposits in the east of the country had been announced. The European partners’ proposals would be thoroughly considered as to establishment of close business contacts.

Vice Premier H. Saparliev reported on the results of the talks held by the Turkmen government delegations in the FRG and the Republic of Austria. Student exchange and advanced training of Turkmen specialists were the focus of the talks with the heads of the educational establishments, the representatives of the government and business circles of these countries. The foreign partners had expressed the willingness to co-operate in the educational sphere including procurement of equipment and advanced learning methodologies. The partners had considered the opportunities of co-operation in the sphere of sports and tourism that Germany and Austria had accumulated the profound and useful experience in.

Vice Premier D. Orazov reported that during the visits the members of the Turkmen government delegations had thoroughly studied the profound experience that Germany and Austria had accumulated in urban planning and transport infrastructure development, in particular construction of bridges and tunnels. The bilateral talks had focused on co-operation in developing Turkmen construction industry. The foreign partners had expressed the willingness to collaborate in the project on modernization of the cement works and construction of the enterprises producing construction materials.

Reporting on the results of the talks with the representatives of the financial and economic organisations in Berlin and Vienna Vice Premier H. Geldimuradov informed that the direct contacts in the banking sphere had been established.

Reporting on the visits to Germany and Austria Vice Premier H. Muhammedov informed that mutually advantageous co-operation in textile industry was a focus of the talks. The German and Austrian partners had expressed interest in purchasing Turkmen textiles and stood ready to offer their expertise, know-how and technologies to Turkmen partners in construction and equipment of newly-built enterprises. The opportunities of co-operation in processing agricultural products and establishing the plants manufacturing high-quality food products were a focus of the talks. The Vice Premier noted that the European partners had shown keen interest in world-renowned Turkmen carpets. The sides had discussed the opportunities of the export of Turkmen carpets to Europe.

Commenting on the reports and focusing on the importance of establishing close business contacts with the government and business circles of Germany and Austria Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanded that the agreements achieved during the talks would be consistently implemented and put emphasis on the necessity to study thoroughly the European partners’ rich experience in various fields. The President said that it was essential to apply the best international practice while fulfilling the tasks on Turkmenistan’s accelerated development, advancing the changes and reforms aimed at bringing Turkmenistan up to the level of the developed countries

Stating that Turkmenistan would continue to pursue the open door policy, to establish and enhance the contacts with foreign partners, to expand wide co-operation Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov mentioned foreign language learning as a factor promoting international co-operation. The President demanded that particular attention should be paid to teaching foreign language starting from the early age.

Vice Premier M. Akmammedov reported on the progress of the agricultural campaigns. The Vice Premier informed that the seasonal planting campaign would start this weekend. The labour collectives in all regions of the country would take part in the activities.

Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the importance of the agricultural campaigns which were to contribute the welfare of the Turkmen people and prosperity of the country.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that rich cotton crop had been picked this year and instructed the Mary velayat Khyakim to arrange the celebrations on occasion of the labour victory. The President said that special attention should be paid to the planting campaign that contributed to achieving ecological security.

Vice Premier N. Shaguiev reported on the work done to improve the transportation services. Commenting on the report the Turkmen leader said that the quality of the transportation services was an important criterion for assessment of the activities of the relevant ministries and departments.

Speaker of the Mejlis reported on the preparations for the parliamentary election in Turkmenistan.

Commenting on the report the President focused on the critical political significance of the election to the Turkmen Parliament noting that Turkmenistan should show and prove to the world that the processes of democratization of the Turkmen society had become irreversible and stand steadfast to the principles of building the just, humane state standing guard over the interests of the people. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov informed that taking account of intense interest that the European community showed in the democratic processes in the Turkmen state at the new stage of national development Turkmenistan had put forward the initiative and invited observers from the European countries and he international organisations to observe the election to the Mejlis that testified to the openness of the election and the readiness to hold it on an alternative basis.

During the sitting the President issued the resolution announcing the contest for the President Prize among workers of culture and art, amateur young singers and gifted children in the country.

The President instructed the relevant high-ranking officials to draft the programme of the Harvest Day celebrations and events to be held throughout the country on last Sunday of November.

In conclusion he Turkmen leader wished the participants of the sitting success in fulfilling the designated tasks.