Session of the Elders’ Council of Turkmenistan

On September 10, the “Avaza” Congress Center of the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone hosted a regular session of the Elders’ Council of Turkmenistan under the chairmanship of President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov.

At the session, the head of state has made a great keynote speech.

On the agenda of the session are the issues on sealing the achievements of our country’s independence and neutrality, home and foreign policy course of the country, as well as the tasks for further realization of key trends of the Turkmen state’s upward advancement, the nation’s leader said.

High rates of GDP growth have been recorded over recent years; wages, pensions, and welfare payments increase constantly; last year alone, the GDP growth rate made up 8.3 percent; the volume of capital investment increased by 8.2 percent, average wage rate – by 10 percent.

Speaking of the by-now positive socio-political and socio-economic reforms ongoing in Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted that recognizing the necessity for constitutional reforms, a decision was adopted last year’s May to improve the country’s Constitution. To this end, the Constitution Commission had been set up.

Concentrating on updating the Constitution, the head of state drew attention of the Elders’ Council session attendees to the fact that not only the substantial part of the Basic Law had been modernized, but its structure had also been radically redesigned.

In this connection, the nation’s leader Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has said that in compliance with the Turkmen people’s aspiration to live happily in peace, unity and political stability, he recognizes the advisability of adding the provisions on Turkmenistan’s state sovereignty protection to the first section of the Constitution related to the foundations of the constitutional system.

President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has stressed the great importance of defining the norms in the new version of Constitution on the supremacy of law, direct effect of constitutional provisions, and the compliance of normative legal acts with the Constitution.

All the necessary conditions should be created in our state, which has declared man the highest value of the society and state, for ensuring basic human rights and freedoms stipulated by international law and recognized in the national legislation, the nation’s leader continued, having focused attention of the nationwide forum participants on the two fundamentally new norms of the Constitution. The first of them specifies that “protection, support and serving a man is the top priority of the bodies of state power”, and the second one -“Turkmenistan is a state that guarantees social protection to every person”.

The head of state also noted that the Constitution Commission had proposed to add a new article on recognizing political diversity and multi-party system in Turkmenistan. It will also provide that the state ensures necessary conditions for the civil society development.

In this connection, the President of Turkmenistan expressed confidence that the session participants would support introduction of a new provision - “The state pursues the policy aimed at realizing and supporting the rights and freedoms of the youth”.

Pending the subject, the head of state has stressed that the revised version of Constitution is supplemented with an article on recognizing in Turkmenistan the rights and freedoms of a man and citizen in accordance with generally-admitted norms of international law, and are guaranteed by the within-said Constitution and laws; it also reflects the norms of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Turkmenistan is a party to main international conventions in the field of ecology, the head of state continued, having highlighted the need to include the provisions on recognizing and regulating the citizens’ ecological rights in the new version of Constitution of Turkmenistan.

The powers of the President of Turkmenistan, Mejlis of Turkmenistan, the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, the Supreme Court of Turkmenistan are specified in the relevant section of the Constitution.

As the head of state emphasized, the draft project of Constitution is supplemented with a new section on the economic and financial-credit system.

Given the fact the Turkmenistan’s economy is based on market relations, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov went on the draft document provides that the state motivates and supports businesses, promotes development of small and medium business, the nation’s leader stressed.

Addressing the Elders’ Council attendees, the head of state has informed that the proposals and remarks to the draft Constitution can be presented to the Constitution Commission.

Necessitating in-depth study of the incoming suggestions after releasing the draft Constitution, the nation’s leader proposed to submit the final version of the Constitution of Turkmenistan for consideration by Mejlis deputies, and to adopt it at the next Elders’ Council session. In continuation of his speech, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov directed attention of the session participants to the issues of the country’s administrative-territorial division.

The territorial expansion of villages and towns necessitates changing of the status of villages in some gengeshliks and establishing of new gengeshliks, the leader of nation highlighted.

Speaking of the country’s Industrial Development Program until 2030, the nation’s leader has noted that despite the availability of enormous reserves of the natural gas, the work on diversification of hydrocarbon exports to foreign countries will be completed after realization of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and the projects on exporting the Turkmen natural gas to European countries.

The head of state has also outlined the upward trends of the chemical industry further advancement, including building up the facilities operating on the basis of domestic raw materials, and technological renovation of the sector. As an example, the nation’s leader cited construction of the mining-and-processing complex for production of potash fertilizers at the Garlyk field in Lebap velayat.

There are some other enterprises that will enable to build up the industry’s potential, the President of Turkmenistan continued, having noted that an ammonia and carbamide production plant had been built and put into operation in the city of Mary.

President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov also said that to ensure the state’s energy security, the work on exploration of our country’s natural resources, their production, processing would be continued.

Not the least significant is creation of the national electronic industry, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov noted, given the availability in the country of all possibilities for starting that work.

President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov has also stressed that next year realization is projected of a large-scale and comprehensive investment program, which envisages construction of different purpose facilities.

The transport-communications sector plays a crucial role in ensuring the effective and harmonious development of all industries of our country’s economy, as well as in rendering high-quality passenger services. Pending the issue of the transport sector development, the nation’s leader has highlighted that new railway stations and airports would be constructed; the facilities currently in operation would be upgraded, and the necessary steps would be taken to ensure profitability of sectoral enterprises and the international “Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran” railway.

Special consideration should be given to further improvement of the country’s communications sector, the President of Turkmenistan said, having stressed that television, the new digital telephone stations system, computer technologies and cellular communications system, other communications infrastructure, in particular the Internet network, should further be advanced.

The large-scale work is well under way aimed at building the transport and logistics infrastructure that would provide an outlet to the seaports in the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, South Asia and South-East Asia, Near East, the nation’s leader Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov said, having mentioned deep interest evinced by the international community in the process.

Speaking of the top-priority objectives in the sector, the head of state has highlighted that under consideration is creation of the international “Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman” transport corridor in the North-South and East-West directions, as well as service infrastructure and support systems.

In continuation of his speech, the President of Turkmenistan stressed the importance of paying attention to the issues of drawing up the next year’s State Budget. In compliance with the priority tasks and to ensure sufficient amounts of financial resources, the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan was assigned to take specific measures on increasing exports of goods to foreign countries.

Then, the discussion centered on the issues of the national forum agenda. Among the speakers at the forum were representatives of the clergy, education and science, agricultural complex, other sectors of the economy, the Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Union of Turkmenistan, servicemen and students. Besides, the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, UNDP Resident Representative Ms. Jacinta Barrins delivered a speech.

Having mentioned that September 15 is annually declared by the United Nations General Assembly as International Democracy Day, the speaker noted symbolism of holding the Elders’ Council in that same month.

Speaking of the significance of the remarkable date widely celebrated in 2015 – 20th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality, Ms. Jacinta Barrins highlighted the importance for the Turkmen state and the country’s people of the neutral status unanimously delegated to our country by the Community of Nations two decades ago, and once again acknowledged this year,. As was noted, the neutral status plays a decisive role both in planning the national development and in pursuing Turkmenistan’s foreign policy course aimed at broad cooperation with the countries of the region and the world.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the United Nations establishment and completion of the Millennium Development Goals, the speaker continued. During the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York on September 25-27, 2015, representatives of the UN member countries would adopt a resulting document consisting of 17 Sustainable Development Programs for 2016-2030. While actively participating in specifying the within-said programs, Turkmenistan has made its contribution to creating the document. As is known, at the invitation of the UN Secretary General, the head of Turkmen state is to take part in the Summit and deliver his speech. This will afford to share Turkmenistan’s experience and achievements made in that field.

Summing up the outcomes of discussion, the President of Turkmenistan thanked all the speakers to the national forum, having stressed that all the proposals forwarded would undoubtedly be taken into account.

In the course of the session, the head of state signed a number of documents submitted for consideration by the Elders’ Council of Turkmenistan. Among them are: Ukases “On decorating with state awards and conferring honorary titles in honor of the 24th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s independence”, “On decorating with the ‘Zenan kalby’ Order of Turkmenistan”, and “On conferring the ‘Honorary Elder of the Nation’ title of Turkmenistan”.

Then, the national forum was continued with the ceremony of decorating with state awards and conferring honorary titles on the citizens of Turkmenistan.

Ceremoniously, the nation’s leader presented the relevant badges to representatives of the older generation, on whom the “Honorary Elder of the nation” title had been bestowed, as well as awards to our compatriots, who had considerably contributed to strengthening of our Motherland’s independence and sovereignty.

Then, Cabinet Deputy Chairperson M. Yazmuhammedova read out a Ukase of the President of Turkmenistan on conferring the highest award – the Title of Hero of Turkmenistan on the People’s Writer of Turkmenistan, head of the top subject matters department of “Edebiýat we Sungat” newspaper - Amangozel Shagulyeva, and decorating her with the “Altyn Aý” Medal.

To the burst of applause of the event participants, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov ceremonially decorated Amangozel Shagulyeva with the highest award, warmly congratulated her on the Title of Hero of Turkmenistan, and wished success in her literary activity.

After the awarding ceremony, resuming the Elders’ Council session and Addressing to its attendees, the head of Turkmenistan has stressed that next year, the Turkmen people will celebrate the 25th anniversary of state independence of the country. In this connection, to widely and solemnly celebrate the remarkable date, the leader of nation Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov proposed to conduct the next session of the Elders’ Council of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat in 2016.

To the applause of the forum participants, the head of state signed the relevant Ukase, having said that the date of the session would be announced later.

Then, the President of Turkmenistan turned to the issue of electing Deputy Chairman of the Elders’ Council. As the nation’s leader noted, in accordance with the Regulations on the Elders’ Council of Turkmenistan, the aksakals (aksakal –a grey-bearded elder) of Ashgabat had proposed to appoint to the post one of the most reputable elders, a resident of the capital - Rahman Gelliev.

After signing the relevant Resolution, the head of state heartily congratulated R. Gelliev on electing to the honorary post, and wished him success in the work.

Then, having noted that the nationwide forum considered the key objectives of the country’s socio-economic development in 2016, as well as the issues of accelerating implementation of the reforms in the epoch of power and happiness, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov presented a draft Address of the Elders’ Council participants to the Turkmen people.

The document was adopted unanimously.

The head of state has also noted that all proposals on the agenda of the next nationwide forum may be Addressed to the Administration Office of the Elders’ Council of Turkmenistan at any time.

 

State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)