During the Government session on December 22, Vice-premier A. Garajayev reported on the Programme of events and activities related with the slogan of the next year “Turkmenistan - the Herat of the Great Silk Road” as well as with the symbol of 2018.

Metropolitan Congress Palace hosted a final of the Youth Music Contest “Ýylyň parlak ýyldyzy-2017” (“Star of the year-2017”), which was attended by talented artists from all corners of Turkmenistan. Winners of the creative competition were determined due to the numerous TV audience and radio listeners who voted for their favorite artist, as well as the competent jury, which includes national music masters and cultural figures.

Festive shows will continue the New Year’s events that started in the Turkmen capital. Among them is the traditional tour of the circus artists from the Russian Federation, organized with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, which started on December 17.

Turkmenistan actively prepares to the celebration of New Year 2018. The concerts and other creative events will take place on the central squares and in the cultural centres of the capital and velayats in the days remained until New Year.

At the session of the Government of December 15, Vie-premier S. Toyliyev presented the State programme of archaeological excavations of historical and cultural monuments located in our country along the Great Silk Road for the review by the Head of the State.

XII Forum of Arts and Science Intellectuals of the Commonwealth of Independent States with the participation of Turkmenistan delegation together with the representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Russia has started in Russian capital.

The leaders of the Mejlis, members of the Government, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in our country, ambassadors of Turkmenistan to foreign countries, representatives of ministries and departments, scientific institutions, universities, non-governmental organizations, mass media, creative intelligentsia, elders and students gathered in the Mukams Palace.

During extended session of the Cabinet of Ministers on December 8, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov informed on the inclusion of Turkmen national singing art and dance kushtdepdi to the Representative List of the UNESCO Non-material Cultural Heritage and congratulated the compatriots on this event, this decision was unanimously taken at the 12th session of Interstate Committee on Protection of Non-material Cultural Heritage held in Cheju (the Republic of Korea).

The Turkmen national rite of singing and dancing, Kushtdepdi, has been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Humanity. This has been communicated at the session of the Government of Turkmenistan by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

In the National Drama Theatre named after Makhtumkuli, it was held the closing ceremony of Culture Days of the Turkish Republic in Turkmenistan.