On January 19, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov conducted a regular working video-selector meeting with participation of Chairperson of Mejlis of Turkmenistan, some Cabinet Deputies Chairman, khyakims of velayats and Ashgabat city, and heads of some sectoral agencies. After opening the meeting, the head of state gave the floor to Akhal velayat khyakim M. Nurmammedov, who reported on the state of affairs in the region, the ongoing activities in the velayat, aimed at strengthening the foundations of the healthy society, the measures taken to ensure law and order and prevent illicit drug turnover. The leader of nation has emphasized the significance of taking a systematic approach to creating green spaces in the region, as one of the main trends for enhancing its ecological well-being, having stressed that much consideration should be given to the work at the local level, first of all in the newly-established settlements. Besides, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov gave commissions on ensuring sufficient supply of fertilizers, high-quality seeds, irrigation water and other resources to farmers. Among the cardinal directions of the regional administration’s work, the leader of nation also mentioned efficient tackling the issues of employment assistance to the population, having instructed to devise a program of concrete actions for job creation in the velayat. Touching upon the methods of preventing the illicit drug turnover, forming intolerant attitude of the people towards this social evil, the President of Turkmenistan has noted the role of civil institutions, local authorities and public organizations, in particular the youth organization. It is important to conduct preventive work with extensive population coverage, to widely popularize the principles of healthy lifestyle, sports, the national spiritual and moral values, the head of state said, having demanded from the khyakim to strengthen control over the organization of activities in this area. Balkan velayat khyakim B. Hojamammedov informed about the mass planting campaign, the implementation progress of the ploughing operations in fields of the region, the preparatory measures taken prior to the spring sowing campaign, the state of affairs at sites of large objects under construction in the maritime region, as well as the ongoing preparations for the Elders’ Council session to be held in Avaza etrap of the city of Turkmenbashi in the running year. Speaking of the importance of taking a scientifically grounded approach to the mass tree planting, the head of state has stressed that along with ornamental trees, fruit trees should be widely planted in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone, as well as in other parts of the velayat. The President of Turkmenistan also called on the public organizations, people’s elders and youth activists, regional educational and sports workers to combine their efforts to counteract illicit drug turnover, to conduct extensive work on increasing the people’s information awareness of the issues and promoting healthy lifestyle, encouraging the younger generation to participate in physical activities and sports. Dashoguz velayat khyakim E. Orazgeldiev focused his video report on the situation in the region, on the measures aimed at tree-planting activities in the velayat, and preparations for the upcoming spring field works. The head of state has emphasized that the tree-planting campaign is being conducted at a slow pace in the velayat, having highlighted that to improve the region’s ecological state, 20,000 young trees were planned to be planted in Botendag by 2020, but only 2,000 trees out of them have been planted by now. The nation’s leader instructed to accelerate the pace of work and recommended active planting fruit trees. The leader of nation has assigned to work out an effective system of population employment in the velayat, as well as to coordinate the work on preventing illegal drug circulation, to focus the regional public organizations’ activity on more active participating in ideological opposition to illegal drug turnover and narcomania, by developing new approaches to patriotic education, promoting physical culture and sports. Reporting on the situation in the velayat, Lebap velayat khyakim M. Jorayev informed about the implementation progress of the tree-planting work, as well as the activities ongoing in farmlands. Project designs of a multifunctional hospital and a shopping center, as well as their location maps were submitted for consideration by the President of Turkmenistan. In the after-report comments, the President of Turkmenistan has commissioned to intensify the work on planting trees in the velayat. The head of state also gave the khyakim the instructions on increasing a variety of fruit and vegetable crops as well as stepping up their production. President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has specified tackling of the issues of population employment and adoption of the program measures aimed at creating jobs as one of the top-priority and most overriding objectives assigned to the regional administration. The nation’s leader also stressed the importance of strengthening the barriers against illicit drug turnover, by combining efforts of the society, law-enforcement and government institutions of the velayat. As for the presented projects, the head of Turkmen state made a number of rational proposals and amendments, having commissioned to issue a tender for construction of the new facilities. Focusing his video-report on the meeting agenda, Mary velayat khyakim B. Anagurbanov informed about the ongoing tree-planting campaign, preparations for the upcoming spring field works, the course of construction of different-purpose objects in the region, and tackling of the social issues. The President of Turkmenistan has emphasized that the tree-planting campaign in Mary velayat should be conducted on a wider scale and at more accelerated paces. It is necessary to keep the issues of supplying farmers with fertilizers, irrigation water, and high-quality seeds under constant control, the head of state said, giving the khyakim a number of concrete assignments on organization of the forthcoming cotton sowing in compliance with all agrotechnical requirements. The head of Turkmen state also assigned the khyakim to exercise control over organization of the public associations’ activity on educational work with young people, raising their awareness of the dangers of drugs with participation of elders of the velayat, representatives of the spheres of education, health care and sports. The state of affairs in the capital, the measures aimed at its improvement (including the newly-established etraps), as well as enhancement of the city’s social sphere were key issues the report of Ashgabat city’s khyakim R. Nurmammedov was centered on. The President of Turkmenistan has highlighted that the tree-planting activities are destined to enhance the capital’s appearance and to promote improvement of its ecological indices; that is why they should be conducted, given science-based recommendations and landscape design solutions. The head of state demanded to keep close control over working out of the system for rendering employment support to the residents of Ashgabat, young people, including high school graduates, as well as realization of the job-creation program. The leader of nation gave the khyakim a number of specific instructions on creating an organizational platform for holding the activities aimed at combating illicit drug turnover in the capital. The video report of Chairman of the “Turkmenobahyzmat” State Association B. Hommakov covered the state of affairs in the structures he is responsible for, in particular, the measures taken to ensure timely readiness of tractors, seeders and other equipment to be used in the upcoming cotton planting campaign. The President of Turkmenistan has commissioned to ensure well-coordinated work of maintenance services and machine operators during the sowing campaign, as well as taking efficient agrotechnical measures for handling of winter grain and other agricultural crops. In his turn, the head of the State Service for Protecting Security of the Healthy Society of Turkmenistan A. Osmanov reported on fulfillment of the assignments given earlier by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief on combating illicit drug turnover in the country. Then the nation’s leader also invited the Chairperson of Mejlis of Turkmenistan A. Nurberdyeva and Cabinet Deputy Chairman S. Toilyev for direct video communication. The leader of nation focused attention of A. Osmanov on the need for stepping up the efforts to fight illicit drug turnover, having commissioned to prepare proposals on strengthening the Service’s material and technical base. It is necessary to pay special attention to the improvement of material and technical support of the Service’s structures in the administrative centers of velayats and border areas, said the President of Turkmenistan, having given assignments on preparing special measures aimed at eradicating the crops containing narcotic substances. Addressing to A. Nurberdyeva, the head of state has noted the importance of engaging all the levers of legislative power to successfully counteract this social evil, to improve the legal mechanisms for combating illicit drug turnover. People convicted of being involved in illicit drug circulation, are unworthy of any pardon, and this provision should be stated legislatively in the relevant legal regulations, as well as it is necessary to make amendments to the Criminal Code, stipulating increased punishment for such criminal acts, the nation’s leader said. The President of Turkmenistan also demanded to strengthen the work on counteracting the threat of drugs socially, especially in the field of education. In this regard, S. Toilyev was assigned to regularly conduct activities in secondary and higher education institutions on increasing awareness of schoolchildren and students of the harm caused by narcotics, on encouraging participation of young people in sports and physical culture, and promoting healthy lifestyle.