OREANDA-NEWS. On 19 June 2009 was announced, that the Supreme Council for Science and Technology (SCST) under the President of Turkmenistan has been abolished with its functions assigned to the Academy of Sciences, which from now on will be fully funded from the state budget. The Higher Attestation Committee, which previously functioned under the SCST, will be supervised by the Cabinet of Ministers. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov signed relevant decrees on 12 June at the retreat government meeting timed to Turkmenistan's Day of Science.

Gurbanmyrat Mezilov, who previously held the post of rector of the Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute named after S. Seidi, was appointed Temporary Acting President of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan.

The Turkmen president also signed a package of resolutions for the establishment of six new research and development institutions and state services under the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan. These are "Gyun" (Sun) Institute, the Institute and State Service of Seismology, the Institute of Botany, the Institute of Physics and Mathematics, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography. The Institute of Language and Literature, the National Institute of Manuscripts, the Institute of History, the Institute of Medicinal Plants and the Institute of Chemistry were also subordinated to the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan.

By the decree of the President of Turkmenistan, the National Center for Cultural Heritage "Miras" has been abolished and its functions have been assigned to the National Institute of Manuscripts.

The Research Institute of Earthquake Engineering will be established on the basis of the abolished Research Institute of Seismology of the Ministry of construction of Turkmenistan followed by its transfer to the this Ministry.

The Central Botanical Garden of the Ashgabat city administration, the Herbarium Fund, the Genetic Bank of Plants, as well as a number of laboratories and related facilities will be transferred to the Institute of Botany.

"It is time to radically change the situation in the area of science and technology in order to bring it to a qualitatively new level of global development, improve the efficiency of scientific research and technological development aimed at addressing the pressing issues of society and the state," Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.