On January 22, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov convened a regular session of the Cabinet of Ministers to consider the plans of important activities for the current period, the priority issues of the country’s social and economic development and other topical issues of state life. After reading out the session agenda, the leader of nation gave the floor to Cabinet Deputy Chairman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R. Meredov, who informed about the Ministry’s current work in compliance with the country’s Foreign Policy Conception for 2013-2017 and fulfillment of the assignments given earlier by the head of state. The Vice-Premier reported on the ongoing preparations for the first meeting of the Turkmen-Slovenian Intergovernmental Commission for trade and economic cooperation to be held in the city of Ljubljana (The Republic of Slovenia). The Minister of Foreign Affairs also informed President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov about the agenda of a trilateral meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Turkey, in the course of which the joint action plans for 2015-2017, and the issues of cooperation in the energy and transit-transport sectors would be considered. Bilateral consultations between Ministries of Foreign Affairs were scheduled as well. In the frames of the report, a draft Resolution on approving “The National Program of Actions for ensuring gender equality in Turkmenistan for 2015-2020” was submitted for consideration by the head of state. President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov addressed the Minister of Foreign Affairs a number of concrete commissions on preparing for all the planned international activities, including the forthcoming meeting of the Turkmen-Slovenian Intergovernmental Commission for trade and economic cooperation and the regular meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Turkey. Having concentrated on the issue of gender equality, the head of state has emphasized that concern for people, their rights and freedoms are the key factors of our country’s democratic development. As an active member of the world community of nations, the leader of nation said, Turkmenistan has joined many international conventions, treaties and agreements in the field of human rights. After signing the within-said Resolution, the head of state approved “The National Program of Actions for ensuring gender equality in Turkmenistan for 2015-2020”, and addressed the Vice-Premier a number of executive commissions concerning implementation of the document. Cabinet Deputy Chairman A. Gochyev centered his report on the state of affairs in the sectors he is in charge of, as well as on the preparations for the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Lithuanian Commission for economic cooperation to take place on January 30 in the capital of the Republic of Lithuania – the city of Vilnius. The Vice-Premier also reported on the ongoing work on introducing amendments and additions to the list of customs duties on separate goods to provide economic support to local commodity producers. The nation’s leader assigned the Vice-Premier to take all measures for ensuring a high organizational level of the first meeting of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Lithuanian Commission for economic cooperation, destined to raise the partnership between the two countries to a new level. The head of state also focused attention on the importance of the issues of providing economic support to domestic commodity producers, stimulating and creating favorable conditions for production of export and import-substituting products and, thus, increasing foreign currency earnings of the country. In that context, the Vice-Premier was given the relevant commissions. The report of Chairperson of Mejlis of Turkmenistan A. Nurberdyeva covered the national parliament’s activity on further improvement of the legislative framework, fulfillment of the presidential assignments on working out a number of laws and normative legal acts, creating favorable legal conditions for advancement of the priority sectors, realization of the large-scale social and economic development programs of the Turkmen state, and strengthening of its democratic basis. President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has emphasized that the national parliament’s law-making activity is a key condition for further successful implementation of the state social and economic programs and projects. In that connection, the leader of nation once again stressed the necessity of elaborating new legal mechanisms, implementing principles and rules of international law in the national legislative practice. Cabinet Deputy Chairman, Manager of the Presidential and Cabinet Administration Office Sh. Durdylyev concentrated his report on the measures taken for Ashgabat’s further development, in particular, its transport and utility infrastructure, including the implementation progress of the drainage-communications tunnel constructed by the “Interbudmontaz” Construction Association against the order of Ashgabat city’s khyakimlik. Further, the Vice-Premier informed about the plans for construction of parking areas in the Turkmen capital, with a glance to evergrowing demand for them against the backdrop of intensive automobilization of the population. As informed, eight multistory car parks have been built in Ashgabat and another seven are under construction. Besides, parking lots have been built in complexes of large residential areas, shopping centers and other public places. Hyakimliks of Ashgabat city and Akhal velayat have prepared proposals on building scores of car parks, including multistory ones, in the capital’s densely populated residential areas. To implement the plans, it was proposed to issue an international tender for designing and building modern parking facilities. Addressing to the Vice-Premier the instructions on systematic creating new parking areas in Ashgabat, which is especially topical in view of the increasing traffic, the nation’s leader has demanded to carefully consider the location of parking areas, particularly in residential areas to suit the convenience of the inhabitants and car owners. The seasonal agri-works ongoing in the country, in particular the agrotechnical measures taken to ensure handling of winter grain crops, vegetative irrigation of the crops, mineral fertilization and weed control were in the center of the report made by Cabinet Deputy Chairman A. Yazmyradov. The report also included the information about organization of an international conference devoted to the topical issues of cooperation in the field of rational use of water resources and environmental protection to be held in Ashgabat in this year’s April. In the after-report comments, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has stressed the importance of active applying the advanced scientific achievements and energy-saving technologies in the agricultural sector, and on the whole, raising the farming standards as essential conditions for the agro-industrial complex successful development. The head of state made special emphasis on the necessity of ensuring efficient coordination of the works in different branches of the agro-industrial complex, having given the Vice-Premier concrete executive commissions. After signing the Resolution on holding the international conference devoted to the issues of water use and ecology, the head of state has highlighted that our state gives much consideration to these topics. Then, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet B. Hojamuhammedov reported on the work, carried out in the fuel and energy complex on adopting the international classification system for field reserves, prospective and expected oil and gas resources. The system, used in different countries of the world, is based on mineral prospecting and combines all the data received in the course of exploration, drilling and other work, conducted in the oil-and-gas industry. It enables to accurately estimate the available reserves of hydrocarbon resources, as well as to economically evaluate their commercial production. This system has already been used during evaluation and certification of reserves at a number of our country’s fields. President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has emphasized that Turkmenistan, a possessor of enormous natural resources, considers them as an important factor of the national economy’s dynamical development, well-being and prosperity of the Turkmen people. In this context, adoption of the international classification system for field reserves, prospective and expected resources of oil, gas and gas condensate will facilitate the acquisition of reliable information about our country’s huge energy potential, and accordingly, further successful integration of Turkmenistan’s oil-and-gas industry into the global energy system, the nation’s leader said. Cabinet Deputy Chairperson M. Yazmuhammedova focused her report on the current state of affairs in the sectors answerable to her, and the preparation of cultural measures for the upcoming inauguration of social and cultural purpose objects in February. As informed, a large program of activities, concerts, creative meetings, conferences and sports competitions had been prepared for Turkmenistan’s National Flag Day and Diplomatic Workers Day to be held in the cultural and sports centers, educational institutions of the capital and velayats. Touching upon the issues of festive events preparation in honor of Turkmenistan’s National Flag Day and other remarkable dates in February, the head of Turkmen state gave the Vice-Premier the instructions on holding them at a better and higher level in terms of organization and content. Further, Cabinet Deputy Chairman S. Toilyev submitted for consideration by the head of state the Plan of measures to be organized in honor of the 20th anniversary of the “Saglyk” State Program, revised with a glance to the recommendations of the nation’s leader. Besides, the Vice-Premier informed the head of state about the ongoing work on preparing the Explanatory and Orthographic Dictionaries of the Turkmen language. As reported, a working group of linguists - leading experts of the Magtymguly Institute of Language and Literature of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, set up for these purposes, had compiled the Explanatory Dictionary of the Turkmen language, containing about 50,000 words, terminological neologisms and word combinations. Having approved the Plan of measures on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the “Saglyk” State Program, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has stressed the importance of their informative content, active participation of international experts and foreign specialists in the planned scientific forums and all levels of the population – in mass educational actions. The leader of nation has demanded to continue the work on the Explanatory Dictionary, having highlighted its exceptional importance as a normative lexicographic edition, which contains the most complete lexis of the modern literary Turkmen language, and stressed the necessity of in-depth analysis of the words and objectivity of the definitions. Addressing to S. Toilyev and A. Yazmyradov, the head of state sorted out the priority issues of ensuring food security in the country, having recommended engaging the scientists in the work. Ensuring food security is a priority trend of the state policy, since it covers a wide spectrum of economic, social, demographic and ecological factors, trends of development of the domestic and world markets, etc. Therefore, the comprehensive study of the issues requires taking an analytical approach, conducting in-depth scientific investigations, organizing the work on master’s and doctoral dissertations on that subject at research institutes and higher educational institutions, the leader of nation said. Besides, it is necessary to work out research programs aimed at increasing production of high-quality food products, to consider the issues of ensuring food security at scientific conferences held in the country, the nation’s leader stressed. In his turn, Cabinet Deputy Chairman B. Ereshov informed about the state of affairs in the sectors he is responsible for, fulfillment of the earlier presidential assignments, in particular, on the ongoing work on silkworm cocoon production in 2015. To strengthen the silkworm breeding industry’s raw material base, the “Turkmenyupek” Joint-Stock Company of the Ministry of Textile Industry implements a complex of measures for producing high-quality silkworm cocoons and stepping up their production. Velayat and etrap khyakimliks render necessary assistance in the work on cocoon production in daikhan associations. Summarizing the report, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has stressed the importance of organizational measures for developing the domestic silkworm breeding industry, including supplying the enterprises with sufficient raw materials, having assigned the Vice-Premier to ensure unremitting control over the relevant issues. The work under way in the structures answerable to him, fulfillment of the earlier presidential commissions, the course of construction of the gas-turbine power station in Beiik Turkmenbashi etrap, Lebap velayat, the measures aimed at improving quality of the housing and communal services rendered to the population were in the focus of the report made by Cabinet Deputy Chairman M. Artykov. Plans and location maps of a complex of buildings of the Turkmen Institute of Municipal Services were submitted for consideration by the head of state. Having signed the Resolution on constructing the 254 MW-capacity gas-turbine power station in the Beiik Turkmenbashi etrap, Lebap velayat, the leader of nation focused attention on applying the latest technologies, high-performance, reliable equipment and high-quality materials for the implementation of sectoral projects and gave a number of specific commissions to the Vice-Premier. Then, Cabinet Deputy Chairman P. Taganov reported on the issues of the sectors, he is in charge of, on the Regulation on the State Commodities and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan and the List of foreign trade and domestic trade contracts subject to registration at the Exchange, worked out in compliance with the Law of Turkmenistan “On commodities and raw materials exchanges and exchange trade” The relevant draft documents were submitted for consideration by the leader of nation. Further, the Vice-Premier focused on the outcomes of the Turkmen-American Business Forum held in Ashgabat on January 21. The report also included the information about the ongoing preparations for the International Exhibition of Furniture and Household Goods to be held in the Turkmen capital on January 28-30 with participation of leading domestic producers and foreign companies. As informed, the third meeting of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Saudi Commission for trade and economic cooperation will be held on January 28-29, in the city of Riyadh (The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia); the meeting agenda will be focused on the issues of advancing the bilateral partnership in different sectors of economy, investing in the oil-and-gas industry, and also expanding cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, sports and tourism. Having signed the Resolution “On the issues of the State Commodities and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan”, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has emphasized that the undertaken measures are aimed at improving efficiency of the exchange activities, further developing the commodity market in our country, increasing and expanding exports, creating a healthy competitive environment in the domestic market, etc. The International Exhibition of Furniture and Household Goods (to be held for the first time in our country) is destined to broaden international business and cooperation ties, the head of state continued, having demanded to organize the forum at a better and higher level in terms of organization and content. Having expressed confidence that the meeting of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Saudi Commission for trade and economic cooperation will make it possible to concretize further steps towards the development of interstate trade-economic relations, the President of Turkmenistan has given the commissions on organization of the business event. The head of state has also noted that given the two countries’ economic potential there is a wide field for further increase in trade turnover and expansion of the cooperation. The report of Cabinet Deputy Chairman S. Satlykov was an extensive coverage of the activity of the sectors answerable to him; the measures taken by the Ministry of Communications of Turkmenistan to upgrade the fiber-optic communications systems, purchase, supply and install the relevant equipment; the ongoing work on improving the air transport enterprises’ activity. After signing the Resolution on purchasing and installing the communication equipment for increasing the throughput capacity of fiber-optic lines and providing high-speed Internet connection, the head of Turkmen state assigned the Vice-Premier to ensure close control over the work. Having centered on the issues of adopting modern methods in the field of the Turkmen civil aviation management, which is an essential factor of continued improvement of the air transport system’s activity, the President of Turkmenistan signed a Resolution on establishing the Ashgabat International Airport, the “Hökümet awiasiýasy” enterprise and the utility and service enterprise within the “Turkmenhovayollary” State National Service. The Cabinet session participants also considered some other issues of state life and passed the relevant decisions.