OREANDA-NEWS. August 12, 2009. Human labour, the fruits of which build the foundation for the welfare and wellbeing of the nation, is wonderful. Today, at the new stage of the Turkmen history this vital axiom has acquired a qualitatively new meaning. We work and see the results of our constructive labour that with every passing day and hour transforms the country and allows comprehending what a great, difficult and at the same time wonderful and rich in accomplishments and victories way the Turkmen people has made during the years of their modern history, reported the Official website turkmenistan.gov.tm.

From ancient time August is a generous month of rich harvests and profusion for the Turkmen people. The coming of it is associated with a mature grain field that brings the wellbeing and prosperity to the families. This season is glorified in song, celebrated in poetry and prose. August is a month-labourer. Now Turkmen farmers are diligently and laboriously taking care of cotton plantations. Cotton has opened its boxes with famous ‘white gold’ – a tremendous wealth of the people who raise the fame and enhance the strength of the state.

The heat of the Turkmen summer is a very positive factor not only for this technical crop. One can visit the bazaars in the city and taste the mountains of melons and water melons on the market places to evaluate the benefits brought by the rays of our generous sun. The wonderful holiday in honour of ‘the queen of a melon field’ – Turkmen Melon Day appeared in the national calendar not by chance.

“From ancient times Turkmen melons are known across the world and highly evaluated for their unsurpassed tasty properties. Today, in the new historical epoch this ‘heavenly fruit’ is recognized as a national property and symbolizes talent and diligence of Turkmen farmers who maintain the glorious ancestors’ traditions in a worthy manner,” Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized congratulating the people of Turkmenistan on the national holiday that is celebrated on the second Sunday of August each year.

Further development of rural areas was the focus of the recent sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers. The agenda of the government sitting spotlighted the progress in implementing the social and economic reforms and large-scale investment projects and developing different sectors of the national economy. Within the next few weeks the cotton picking and winter crops sowing campaigns will be launched in the country. Whether this year will be successful for the agro-industry sector and textile industry, whether this year’s harvest of wheat will be rich depend on rural workers’ diligence, selflessness and devotion.

Agriculture should be profitable and benefit the state and agricultural workers – that is the ultimate goal of the changes taking place in the agricultural sector. The new model of the agro-industry sector is particularly based on a comprehensive approach to all the issues related to further development of the sector. Land use, industrial and economic relations and many other things are comprehended in a new way, in compliance with the contemporary and future requirements.

The Turkmen leader says that an important aspect of this process is building an effective mechanism for exercising the interests of citizens and improving the living conditions and demands that velayat khyakims, high-ranking officials of the ministries and departments should accelerate construction of schools and kindergartens, social and economic facilities in rural areas.

In particular, these demands concerns development and beautification of the new etraps – Altyn Sakhra in Mary Velayat and Dovletli in Lebap Velayat, implementation of the President’s national programme on the improvement of the social and living conditions in rural areas till the period of 2020, construction of the new town of Turkmenbashi, health-improving centres in Avaza national tourism zone , development of housing, transport and communication infrastructure in the regions adjacent to the Altyn Asyr Turkmen Lake, completion of construction of the bridge across the Amu Darya River and many other projects.

Investments, infrastructure, innovations – this is the factors that are to promote dynamic development of Turkmen economy and consistent advancement of the country.

The laconic figures of the statistical reports on the country’s social and economic achievements in seven months of 2009 presented at the recent government sitting testify to the steady GDP growth and record investment activity: the volume of investments spend in the first six months of 2009 rose 2.5 times as compared to the same period of 2008. The Turkmen leader noted that the pace of development should be more stable and balanced though. Every undertaking must work for the future.

Science is to play an important role in these undertakings. Specifying the measures of further support for the research institutions Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the country had great hopes of the results of the Turkmen scientists’ research activities and technical innovations that were aimed at promoting fundamental reforms in all the spheres of the life of the state and society.

The last week’s events vividly illustrated the universality and compliance of the Turkmen leader’s policy with the requirements of the new historical epoch. Actively contributing to global efforts to address challenges and problems of the modern world Turkmenistan assumes its positive neutrality and high responsibility for the future of the whole mankind as a basis of its contribution.

Having put forward a number of the peacemaking, economic and humanitarian initiatives and launched the transnational projects in the energy, transport and tourism sectors – the projects which are quite tangible, real, called for by vital human interests President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov establishes the precedents not for the practice of law but the practice of peace and international cohesion. The precedents of goodwill, openness, readiness for a dialogue and wide partnership.

There are a lot of examples of that. One of the most illustrative is our relations with Afghanistan. The Turkmen people’s sincere and unselfish help to their neighbours is embodied in supply of energy and liquefied gas at a reduced price, training of highly qualified specialists and development of health care, reconstruction of the railway that connects two countries, laying of power transmission lines in the provinces of Afghanistan, delivery of humanitarian goods – food products, diesel fuel, children’s clothes.

The opening of the health centre and school built and equipped by Turkmenistan as a gift to the Afghani people in the northern provinces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan vividly illustrates our country’s firm intention to further assist the neighbouring country in building the peaceful and prosperous life and is another important step on the path that leads to sustainable development of the region.