On January 16, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov held a regular session of the Cabinet of Ministers to consider the priority issues of state life, as well as some important draft documents. After reading out the session agenda, the nation’s leader gave the floor to Cabinet Deputy Chairman A. Gochyev, who reported on the work accomplished on implementation of the first phase of “The 2013-2016 State Program for privatization of state-owned enterprises and buildings”, and submitted for consideration by the head of state a list of the enterprises and buildings intended for privatization in the frames of the program’s second phase. The Vice-Premier informed that in accordance with the within-said program, 45 objects had been planned for the first-phase privatization, 18 objects out of them were privatized and 23 were put up at auction for sale. As for 3 other objects, the work on determining the value of the property is well under way. As reported, the value of 67 livestock and poultry farms was estimated last year. All of them were privatized on condition that in 2015 no changes would be made to their basic activities on dairy-and-meat production, as well as the number of workers employed. In the frames of the report, the Vice-Premier submitted for consideration by the Turkmen leader a list of the state-run enterprises and buildings offered for privatization in the second phase of the “The 2013-2016 State Program for privatization of state-owned enterprises and buildings”, having informed that in total, 37 enterprises and facilities (under various ministries and sectoral agencies) were presented for privatization. In the after-report comments, having emphasized the great importance of the ongoing work on implementation of the state program for privatization of state-owned enterprises and buildings, aimed to attract private sector investments, as well as to build up the competitive market economy, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov gave the Vice-Premier a number of concrete commissions. Focusing on the implementation course of the National Rural Development Program, the head of state assigned to conduct a meeting with participation of Vice-Premiers and khyakims to analyze the work carried out in this direction, as well as to revise the Program in compliance with present-day requirements. In his report, Cabinet Deputy Chairman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R. Meredov centered on preparations for the state visit of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to our country. The agenda of the Turkmen-Afghan summit talks, which are expected to result in the signing of a set of important documents, will focus on the key issues of mutually beneficial cooperation that serves the interests of the two friendly peoples and wellbeing of the entire region. Having stressed the importance of the upcoming state visit by the head of friendly state to Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov concentrated on the large infrastructure projects implemented with our country’s assistance, including in the power and gas industries, as well as the transport-communications sector. As President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov highlighted, it is, first of all, the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project in near-term prospects. Implementation of the large-scale energy project will directly contribute to the development of Afghanistan’s economy, attraction of investments, settlement of social issues, including job creation, and, on the whole will have a positive effect on stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan. The leader of nation gave a number of concrete commissions to Director of the State Agency for Hydrocarbon Resources Management and Use under the President of Turkmenistan Ya. Kakaev (who was invited to attend the session) on the project further promotion. Deeply appreciative to the head of state of the meeting with the parliamentarians (held the day before) and his keynote speech (regarded as the guide to action by deputies), Chairperson of Mejlis of Turkmenistan A. Nurberdyeva informed about the measures taken in that direction. As reported, sessions were held in all the Committees of Mejlis of Turkmenistan to discuss the tasks assigned by President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov to the national parliament deputies on improving the national legislative framework in the context of the legal reform and to concretize the ways of tackling them. In this connection, it was decided to revise the 2015 Plan of law-making activity of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, with a glance to the recommendations and instructions given by the head of state. After the report, the head of Turkmen state called on the members of parliament to more actively protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens, to promote the improvement of the population’s social and living conditions, development of independent institutional settings and enhancement of the efficiency of the market-style and national reforms. In his report, Cabinet Deputy Chairman, Manager of the Presidential and Cabinet Administration Office Sh. Durdylyev concentrated on Ashgabat’s further improvement, in particular, the development of the Turkmen capital’s communal infrastructure, including a new stage of construction of the drainage-communications tunnel in the western part of the city. The Vice-Premier also specified that for implementation of the project carried out by “Interbudmontaz” Construction Association against the order of the Ashgabat city khyakimlik, additional agreements had been made with the contractor. By now, the first-phase of the project has been fully completed; the work in the frames of the second phase is already well under way. Thus, a 3,792-meter drainage tunnel (6 meters in diameter) has been built in the northern part of the capital. At present, the interior installation works, the work on the adjustment of purification plants with a daily capacity of 300 thousand cubic meters and connection to the city’s main power supply network are in progress. The construction of rainwater-diverting facilities (2,105 meters in length) has been completed. The Vice-Premier demonstrated with the help of slides and layouts that the revised plan includes further work on construction of the drainage-communications tunnel (another 4,945 meters), 4 sewage wells, 8 radial drainage holes and an administrative building for the facility management, installation of the communication networks and safety systems. The project implementation will enable to considerably reduce the level of drainage water in the capital, to comprehensively tackle the issues of its life-support systems, the leader of nation said, having given the Vice-Premier a number of commissions on the construction of the drainage-communications tunnel and the related facilities and demanded to ensure strict control over the works. The seasonal agri-works ongoing countrywide, the adequate agro-technical measures taken to ensure handling of winter grain crops, in particularly vegetative irrigation of the crops, mineral fertilization and weed control were in the center of the report made by Cabinet Deputy Chairman A. Yazmyradov. Reporting on fulfillment of the earlier presidential assignments, the Vice-Premier informed about the measures taken to increase the production of fruits, vegetables and cucurbitaceous crops in the country. The head of state commissioned to keep special control over the timely preparation of agri-machinery and ensuring of high-quality seeds supply prior to the cotton sowing campaign, since they are the essential conditions for growing abundant cotton crops. Concrete instructions were also given on adopting the most advanced agricultural methods in the plant-growing sector of the domestic agro-industrial complex, which plays an important role in ensuring food abundance in the country’s markets. In her turn, Cabinet Deputy Chairperson M. Yazmuhammedova reported on the program of measures for the celebration to be held on January 27 in the administrative center of Mary velayat on the occasion of announcing Mary the cultural capital of Turkic World in 2015. The Vice-Premier also informed that in accordance with the program of activities approved by the head of state, over 20 cultural events would be organized in the city of Mary, including scientific conferences, exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances, meetings with artistic people, as well as tours to the ancient monuments of the velayat. In the report follow-up comments, the head of Turkmen state assigned to hold the celebration in honor of that remarkable event, as well as all other events timed to the occasion at high organizational and creative level. The leader of nation has emphasized that announcement of the city of Mary the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2015 offers an excellent opportunity for further wide popularization of our rich historical and cultural heritage and familiarization of the world public with the work ongoing in our country on its preservation and study. Further, Cabinet Deputy Chairman S. Toilyev centered his report on the activity of the sectors (he is in charge of) in priority trends, as well as on the ongoing preparations for the festivities to be held to mark the 20th anniversary of adopting the “Saglyk” State Program. The Vice-Premier presented for consideration by the head of state the Plan of Activities to be held with participation of the relevant ministries and agencies, the WHO and other international organizations. In particular, the International Exhibition and Conference “Saglyk-2015” is scheduled for July. During the running year a number of exhibitions showcasing our country’s achievements in the health care and medical industry will be organized abroad. Specifying the main objectives at the present stage of the health care sector’s development, the President of Turkmenistan has demanded to ensure unremitting control over the implementation course of the “Saglyk” State Program and keep up the paces of reforms. The head of state stressed the need to make use of progressive foreign experience in the work, intensifying international cooperation in the priority areas of medical science and practice, and training of highly-qualified specialists. Cabinet Deputy Chairman B. Ereshov focused his report on the state of affairs in the sectors, he is responsible for, as well as execution of the commissions given earlier by the head of state. In particular, the Vice-Premier presented with the help of slides the implementation progress of the mining-and-processing complex for production of potash fertilizers at the Garlyk potash salts deposit in Koitendag etrap, Lebap velayat. The report also included the information about the ongoing work on supplying enterprises of the Ministry of Textile Industry with cotton fiber. After the report, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has stressed that the processing industry plays an important role in successful implementing the strategy of building up economic potential of the country, proceeding along the path of industrial development. To make the best use of the textile industry capacities, the leader of nation instructed to carefully explore the issue of ensuring steady supplies of spinning enterprises with high-quality cotton fiber. Then the floor was given to Cabinet Deputy Chairman B. Hojamuhammedov, who informed about the situation in the sectors answerable to him, the implementation progress of a number of large-scale projects aimed at increasing the production of various oil products in the country. As reported, the completion of two plants for extraction of high-octane impurities from liquefied gas and production of “А-95” and “А-98” high-octane gasoline at the Turkmenbashi Refinery is scheduled for 2015. Besides, a modern complex for production of asphaltic residual fuel oil, and a polypropylene film plant are under construction there. Last year, the bitumen plant underwent capital repair. It enabled to increase twofold the output of products highly acclaimed in road construction. A number of projects are being implemented in the frames of the Seidi Refinery renovation. Besides, a number of projects for new modern plants planned for construction at the Turkmenbashi Refinery are under development, including road and construction bitumen plants, as well as a diesel fuel plant (which meets the international quality standards -“Euro-5”), and other facilities. Concrete measures were outlined for increasing production of synthetic base industrial oils. Commenting on the report, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov focused on the tasks of the domestic fuel and energy complex further progressive development, whose fulfillment would contribute to the country’s all-round industrialization, stepping up of output of the products able to meet competition in foreign markets, and accordingly, increase in the country’s economic strength and improvement of the people’s wellbeing. The Vice-Premier was given specific commissions on accelerating the implementation progress of new infrastructure projects to be carried out in the oil-refining industry in near-term prospect. The work ongoing in the structures he is in charge of, execution of the earlier presidential assignments, including the measures taken for construction of the “Vatan” gas-turbine power station in Beiik Turkmenbashi etrap, Lebap velayat were in the focus of the report made by Cabinet Deputy Chairman M. Artykov. The report also included the information that in compliance with the “Turkmenistan’s Power Industry Development Conception for 2013-2020”, 14 gas-turbine power stations are planned for construction and commissioning, several of which were put into operation in 2013-2014 in Akhal, Lebap and Mary velayats. Dwelling on the issues of realization of the “Turkmenistan’s Power Industry Development Conception for 2013-2020”, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has pointed out top-priority tasks in this field. Having emphasized application of the most modern technologies, high-performance and reliable equipment and materials in the sectoral projects implementation, the head of state gave the Vice-Premier a number of concrete executive commissions. Then, Cabinet Deputy Chairman P. Taganov reported on preparations for the Turkmen-American business forum to be held in Ashgabat on January 21. At the forum, new solutions and approaches to realization of the potential for bilateral cooperation and development of the trade and economic relations are expected to be worked out. To participate in the forum, a large delegation from the USA is to arrive in Turkmenistan. It will consist of representatives of large companies who have prepared their proposals on cooperation in the oil-and-gas sector, energy industry, agricultural and industrial complex, industry and construction sector, in the fields of information technologies, health care, science, education, transport, as well as the financial sector. The issues of innovative technologies in the industry and agriculture, as well as a role of the financial system in economic development will be discussed at the forum. President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has emphasized that the trade-economic relations between Turkmenistan and the USA steadily develop, opening up new possibilities for the mutually advantageous business relations advancement. Given the two countries’ economic potential, there are good potentialities available for increase in trade turnover, expansion of the scope of American companies’ activity in the Turkmen market and implementation of joint projects, first of all, in hi-technology industries. Having expressed confidence that the Turkmen-American business forum will enable to concretize further steps towards the development of interstate trade-economic relations, the leader of nation has given commissions on ensuring high organizational level of the forum. In his turn, Cabinet Deputy Chairman S. Satlykov centered his report on the work under way in the sectors of the transport-communications complex, answerable to him. The Vice-Premier submitted for consideration by the head of state the 2015-Work Plan of the State Commission for Emergency Situations of Turkmenistan. In the after-report comments, the President of Turkmenistan has emphasized the necessity for ensuring unremitting control over improvement in quality of the services rendered in the field of passenger and goods transportation by all modes of transport. Having stressed that the state constantly pays close attention to the issues of improving the work of the structures responsible for emergency situations prevention and management, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has signed the relevant document. Prosecutor General of Turkmenistan A. Hallyev reported on results of the checks conducted by order of the head of state in different sectors of the national economy in 2014, which had revealed serious shortcomings. After the report, the leader of nation assigned the Prosecutor General to present regular reports on the analytical work ongoing in the sectors to reveal offences. Addressing the Cabinet members, the President of Turkmenistan has assigned the Vice-Premiers to go on working trips to the velayats they are responsible for, and examine the state of affairs. It is necessary to conduct an enlarged meeting with participation of velayat and etrap khyakims to consider the outcomes of work under way in the regions, to discuss the implementation progress of the state programs and analyze the current situation in velayats. The Cabinet session participants also considered some other issues of state life and passed the relevant decisions.