OREANDA-NEWS. July 08, 2013. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov conducted a working videoconference meeting with the Vice Premiers, the heads of ministries and the khyakims of the regions and Ashgabat. The objectives of implementing the social and economic strategy and the ambitious reform programmes and the progress in seasonal agricultural activities were considered during the videoconference.

It was reported that grain growers in Ahal and Balkan Velayat had fulfilled their contractual obligations on grain production. The information on the current situation in the agricultural fields throughout the country, in particular the progress in the harvesting campaign, was presented during the meeting. The heads of the velayat administrations reported on the measures taken to develop social and industrial infrastructure in the regions and ensure the construction work was completed in compliance with quality requirements and construction schedule.

Expressing satisfaction at the good news, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov congratulated all those involved in the important agricultural campaign on the labour victory.

The President also instructed the Ahal and Balkan Velayat Khyakims to hold the festivities to mark the achievements of grain growers.

Deputy Chairman of the State Emergency Response Commission A. Yegeleev informed the President that the Richter magnitude-3 earthquake had been recorded in Ashgabat at 6.36 this morning. It was reported that the earthquake epicentre was located 20 kilometres south of Ashgabat in the Central Kopetdag seismic zone. The estimated earthquake intensity was 3.0-4.0 points, the focal depth –10 kilometres.

Minister of Defence, Head of the Main Service for Civil Defence and Emergencies B. Gundogdyev reported that the earthquake had caused no victims or destructions.

Commenting on the reports, the President focused on the issues relating to safety of various facilities under construction throughout the country, the ongoing work on reconstruction and modernization of existing buildings and roads in the capital and the administrative centres of the regions as well as the need to select seismically safe sites for construction.

In this context, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the critical importance of promoting scientific activities, in particular seismology, the main task of which is to measure and analyze all the movements recorded by seismographs on the solid surface of the Earth.

Ashgabat Khyakim R. Nurmammedov reported on the measures taken to develop and beautify the capital and fulfil the Turkmen leader’s instructions to accelerate the urban planning programme. The Ashgabat Khyakim reported that the earthquake had caused no damage and urban infrastructure was functioning normally.

Other issues were considered and the decisions were adopted during the videoconference.