On July 17, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov presided over a regular meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers which was centered on consideration of the topical issues of public life and some draft documents. Cordially congratulating the session attendees and the Turkmen people on Healthcare and Medical Industry Workers Day and on the 20th anniversary of the “Saglyk” State Program widely and solemnly celebrated in Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov wished good health and longevity, happiness, prosperity to all countrymen, and wishes of great success in their noble and responsible work – to all medical men. Turning to the issues of the meeting agenda, the head of state gave the floor to Cabinet Deputy Chairman S. Toilyev who reported on the activities of the structures he is responsible for and on the preparations for celebrating the 20th anniversary of the “Saglyk” State Program and Healthcare and Medical Industry Workers Day. At the same time, a draft Resolution on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF in providing payment services was brought to the attention of the leader of nation. The document was developed for arranging procurement of medicines in 2016-2020 to carry out in the country preventive vaccination among the children and adults, as well as to continue the traditional cooperation with the UN Children’s Fund. Summarizing the report, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has emphasized that health of the nation and every citizen of the country has been and remains a top priority of the independent neutral Turkmenistan’s state policy. Adopted 20 years ago, “Saglyk” Program is the clearest evidence of it. In the course of its implementation, radical changes were carried out in the national healthcare and medical industry. In this topmost sector, the nation’s leader said, considerable internationally-recognized success has been achieved, and we have a perfect right to be proud of it. Over these years, the head of state continued, an impressive body of work has been accomplished, including the work on the relevant legal framework’s perfection, creation of the efficient national health system, construction in the capital and all regions of the country (including rural areas) of modern medical institutions equipped with the latest facilities and the objects of sanatorium-resort infrastructure. Thereupon, of no less importance are the meaningful and invariable criteria - strengthening in the society of healthy lifestyle, involving the Turkmen people in the athletics and sport programs, make them conscious and adherent to new health-promoting ideas. In this context, the nation’s leader has also noted great importance of the multifaceted partnership with the UN and its leading bodies, including the World Health Organization, with which our country has a long-term positive experience of interaction. The corollary of it is successful implementation of important joint projects and programs in various areas of medicine, as well as awarding international certificates to Turkmenistan on elimination of a number of infectious diseases in the country. Stating that the targeted comprehensive work in this direction would be continued, the President of Turkmenistan signed a Resolution on approving a new State Program “Saglyk” and a National Plan for implementation of the Program for 2015-2017. Highlighting that the Program is designed to consolidate and increase the success and achievements in the domestic health system, to give a new advancement-favored impetus to the national medicine based on the advanced achievements of science and innovation technology, and to promote expansion of fruitful cooperation with foreign partners, the leader of the nation addressed the vice-premier the Program-associated assignments for its continued implementation. Noting that Turkmenistan intends to further strengthen constructive interest-based cooperation with the UN Children’s Fund, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov signed a Resolution on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Turkmenistan and UNICEF regarding the services on medicines procurement, having charged the vice-premier with the appropriate commissions for its fulfillment. Again emphasizing that the Turkmen government would always take utmost concern for the people’s health and welfare, the leader of nation Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov signed a Resolution on approving the Regulations of the International Medical Centers’ Directorate and construction of the Surgery and Endocrinology International Center. In conclusion, the head of Turkmen state has charged the executives with ensuring high level of preparations and holding of all the events dedicated to the 20th anniversary of “Saglyk” State Program and Health and Medical Industry Workers Day celebrated in our country as a great national holiday. Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers E. Orazgeldiev reported on the situation in the agro-industrial complex. Within the report, the vice-premier also covered the progress of preparations for Galla Bairamy (Harvest Festival) traditionally celebrated in our country on July’s third Sunday. In the after-report comments, the President of Turkmenistan addressed a number of concrete instructions to the vice-premier referring to tackling timely the tasks set to the agricultural complex, including preparations for the cotton harvesting campaign. Turning to the Galla Bairamy festivities in honor of the selfless and diligent work of grain-producers who delivered to the Motherland’s granary over 1 million 400 thousand tons of grain, the head of state has necessitated ensuring high organizational level of all the event-associated measures. Then, Chairperson of Mejlis of Turkmenistan A. Nurberdyeva informed about the Parliament’s work on further improvement of national legislation, formation of the modern legislative-legal basis corresponding to the generally admitted norms of international law. Drafting of new bills, preparation of a new version of Turkmenistan’s Constitution with a glance to the offers received from the population are implemented by Committees of Mejlis. Information was also voiced about Mejlis’ activities on expanding the inter-parliamentary relations and international cooperation. Cabinet Deputy Chairman B. Hojamammedov reported on the situation in subordinate structures, as well as on the ongoing preparations for the third meeting of the Joint Turkmen-Tatar Working Commission for trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation to be held on July 23-24 in Ashgabat. As it was reported, the appropriate ministries and agencies - members of the Working Commission prepared a draft Protocol of the forthcoming meeting taking into account the two parties’ proposals. The upcoming meeting agenda will be centered on consideration of the issues referring to the status and prospects of productive bilateral partnership in various areas. It is planned to discuss the possibility of the Turkmen-Tatar interaction further expansion in the petrochemical sector, in the areas of energy, industry, transport, construction, agriculture, environment, education, health, sports and tourism, etc. Noting the Joint Commission’s important role in the development of fruitful Turkmen-Tatar interaction, the nation’s leader has necessitated forming of new approaches to setting up a platform for further effective intergovernmental partnership. In this regard, the head of state addressed a number of definite instructions to the vice-premier. Cabinet Deputy Chairperson M. Yazmuhammedova reported on the ongoing preparations for Culture Days of the People’s Republic of China in Turkmenistan on August 4-6. A representative delegation of the friendly country will visit Ashgabat to participate in the action. The vice-premier also reported on preparations for the cultural events and international forums scheduled for the second half of the year, as well as the ones timed to the national holidays and commissioning of different purpose objects. Commenting on the report, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov emphasized the necessity for steady improvement of performance of institutions of culture and mass media in accordance with the realities of modern time and present-day technical developments. Ordering to ensure a high-level organization and carrying out the creative actions, the head of state addressed the vice-premier concrete executive instructions. Next speaker, Cabinet Deputy Chairman B. Hojamuhammedov reported on the results of his business trip to Tokyo (Japan) to discuss the issues of the Turkmen-Japanese economic and investment-technologic partnership further development, the implementation progress of joint industrial projects, including the ones in the sphere of high-tech natural gas processing, upgrading and creating the plants producing the demand-driven products competitive at the global markets, introduction of the latest scientific-technical developments and best practices of management and marketing. The trip and negotiations conducted in its frames were plentifully awarding. High interest the business circles of Japan evinced in the mutuality-based cooperation was demonstrated by the high-level organization of measures held in the frames of the trip, extension of hospital welcome to the Turkmen side. The meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan Sindzo Abe and representatives of big business circles of the Land of the Rising Sun testifies to the high status of the Turkmen delegation’s visit. At the meetings, consideration was given to the prospects of Japanese investments participation in implementing the projects on the deposits development in the territory of Turkmenistan, modernization of the oil and gas industry, diversification of the Turkmen natural gas export deliveries routes, interaction in the framework of other bilateral arrangements and agreements. In addition, Japanese companies have expressed readiness to submit their scientific and industrial developments in the power industry, to actively participate in the modernization of this sector, as well as in the implementation of transport projects. Japanese partners have shown special interest, in particular, in construction of a new modern power plant in Lebap and the Ashgabat-Avaza high-speed railways. In the frames of the earlier bilateral talks, Japanese partners made a proposal to invest in construction of a new International seaport in Turkmenbashi city. There is vast untapped potential of the Turkmen-Japanese in the field of investigation and development of innovative technology for producing silicon with particularly high qualitative characteristics which play a decisive role for the future of global energetics. Consideration was also given to the possibility of launching the Japanese High Technology Information Center in Turkmenistan and encouraging Japanese developers to introduce the ecology-friendly and energy-saving industries in the country. Representatives of Japanese business circles evinced interest in the intensification of the productive interest-based cooperation in constructing the enterprises of chemical industry, in joint comprehensive developing the hydro-mineral resources of the Garabogazgol Gulf, setting up production of sodium sulfate and many other chemical products. Noting the importance of attracting investments on the part of big foreign business, the head of state emphasized that the successful activity of Japanese companies in Turkmenistan is observed in various sectors of the economy. World-famous Japanese brands, the production of Japanese manufacturers have firmly taken a meaningful niche in the Turkmen market. We welcome the interest shown by the large Japanese businesses, and are ready for mutually beneficial, long-term partnership on the parity basis, the nation’s leader highlighted, commissioning the vice-premier to examine very carefully the Japanese partners’ all the incoming offers and the issues of interaction in implementing joint projects in the fuel and energy complex. During the meeting, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov signed a Resolution on sanctioning the Turkmen delegation’s business trip to the city of New Delhi (Republic of India) for conducting negotiations on the Turkmenistan-Pakistan-Afghanistan-India gas pipeline construction project. Then, Cabinet Deputy Chairman B. Ereshov submitted a report on the situation in the subordinate structures, as well as on fulfillment of the commissions given earlier by the head of state on modernization and diversification of the production infrastructure of the textile industry. It was noted, the work on construction of new enterprises and workshops is in progress in accordance with the adopted state program on import substitution and with the tasks on the textile industry further development. Focusing on the importance of raising profitability of domestic textile enterprises through advancing more economic waste-free technological production facilities, the leader of nation instructed vice-premier to carefully work out the issues of implementing new projects in the textile industry. Then, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet S. Satlykov reported on the ongoing work on further improvement of activity of structural subdivisions of the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan. In particular, it was informed about the measures taken to change the institutional-legal status of the “Turkmentelecom” State Telecommunication Company - its transformation into “Turkmentelecom” Closed Joint-Stock Society. Speaking of the overriding role of telecommunications in the successful solution of problems of socio-economic development, the nation’s leader has stressed that the state will continue to provide continuous support to those industries. In this regard, the head of state addressed the vice-premier concrete instructions on improving the performance efficiency of the structures answerable to vice-premier. Cabinet Deputy Chairman, Manager of the President’s and Cabinet’s Administration Office Sh. Durdylyev reported on the activities of the supervised structures on further development of Ashgabat. In particular, information was voiced on the implementation progress of the Turkmen capital’s architectural and town-planning redevelopment program and the Capital’s Improvement Plan for 2015-2016. Noting that the works carried out in the capital should set the tone for all regions of the country, the head of state focused attention on the importance of further improvement of the urban infrastructure, active involvement in the daily practice of advanced technologies and developments. Further, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet M. Artykov submitted the report on the ongoing work for creating and advancing the innovation-based domestic electric-power industry. In the framework of “State Program for creating the enterprises on manufacturing various types of electronic equipment in Turkmenistan” approved by the Resolution of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov in the current year’s July 9, the proposals from a number of leading companies specializing in this field have been analyzed. In line with the incoming proposals, creation is projected of the Centre for production of equipment intended for production of lower- and medium-power plants. In projects is also organizing of the professional training courses for the personnel of the would-be Center. Within the report, information was presented about the progress of privatization of the state housing stock. Summarizing the report, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted the importance of formation of the competitive, equipped with high technology, electronic and electrical industry for further successful socio-economic development of Turkmenistan, having addressed thereby addressed a number of concrete instructions to the vice-premier. Noting that the issue of privatization of state housing stock is among the priority tasks aimed at ensuring welfare of the Turkmen people, the President of Turkmenistan ordered to exercise strict control over the activities of the relevant bodies. Then, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet P. Taganov reported on the preparations for the Turkmen-Kyrgyz business forum to be held in Bishkek on August 4 which is organized by the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the two countries. The draft work program of the event was presented for the national leader’s consideration. The forum agenda is aimed at discussing the cross-offers and dovetailing joint measures for intensifying the bilateral trade-economic cooperation and interaction in such spheres, as healthcare, textile industry, railway transport sector, agriculture, food industry, energy, oil and gas, etc. The forum agenda includes also visiting by the Turkmen delegation of the Kyrgyz industrial enterprises and the “Bishkek” free economic zone. Approving the upcoming Bishkek forum agenda, the head of state touched upon implementation of the previously reached agreements on a number of key directions and the opportunities for carrying out new investment projects, and gave the executive instructions on coordinating the activities of the structures concerned. Some other issues of state life were considered at the Cabinet meeting which took shape of the appropriate decisions.