№ 44 (513)30 October 2021

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TURKMENISTAN AND KAZAKHSTAN STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THEIR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPNegotiations between President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

con ducted a re gu lar sit ting of the Cabi net of Mi nis ters via the di gi tal sys tem, at which prio ri ty is sues of the sta te po licy and drafts of a num ber of documents we re con si de­red.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

received the Am bas sa dor Extraor di na ry and Ple ni po ten tia ry of the Peop le’s Re­pub lic of Chi na to Turk me nis tan Qian Nai­cheng.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

to ok part via the di gi tal sys tem in the so­lemn cere mo ny of com mis sio ning a new high–vol ta ge doub le­cha in over head po­wer trans mis sion li ne Ahal–Bal kan.

¤¤¤A te lep ho ne conver sa tion bet ween the

Pre si dent of Turk me nis tan Gurbanguly

Ber di mu ha me dov and the Pre si dent of the Re pub lic of Uz be kis tan Shavkat Mir ziyoyev to ok place.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

sent his sincere cong ra tu la tions to Shavkat Mir ziyoyev on the occasion of his victo ry in the pre si den tial elections in the Re pub lic of Uz be kis tan.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

ma de a wor king trip, du ring which he visi­ted the sout hern part of the capi tal city, develo ping har mo nious ly in recent years, whe re he acquain ted him self with the work around the Mag tym gu ly Py ra gy cul tu ral and park comp lex that had en te red the fi nal sta ge. The is sues of beau ti fying the ter ri to ry of the comp lex, crea ted in ho nour of the great po et­thin ker, landscaping and tur ning the local places in to a bloo ming gar den and, thus, main tai ning a high level

of ecolo gy in the capi tal city are in the sphe re of cons tant at ten tion of the na tio­nal lea der.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

con ducted a wor king mee ting with so­me De pu ty Chair men of the Cabi net

of Mi nis ters and heads of structu res of the oil and gas comp lex and with the par ticipa tion of rep re sen ta tives of the Pub lic Joint Stock Com pa ny Tat neft of the Re pub lic of Ta tars tan, Rus sian Fe de­ra tion, who had ar rived in our count ry to par ticipa te in the XXVI In ter na tio nal Con fe rence “Oil and Gas of Turk me nis­tan–2021”.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

con ducted via the di gi tal sys tem a re gu­lar sit ting of the Cabi net of Mi nis ters, at which to pical is sues of the li fe of the sta te we re discus sed, and drafts of a num ber of documents, ai med at the comp re hen sive develop ment of the na tio nal econo my, we re con si de red.

¤¤¤Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov

received the Secre ta ry Ge ne ral of the Econo mic Coo pe ra tion Or ga ni sa tion

(ECO) Khus rav No zi ri, who had ar rived in Turk me nis tan.

¤¤¤Hard wor king far mers of the Le bap

velayat we re the first in the count ry to re port on the success ful comp le tion of win ter wheat so wing. They so wed 130 thou sand hecta res of land with the valuab le crop. Grain gro wers of the Ahal velayat comp le ted so wing of win ter wheat accor ding to the sche du le. They so wed the valuab le crop on 195 thou­sand hecta res of land.

¤¤¤Wit hin the fra me work of the const ructi­

on of new facili ties in ho nour of the 30th an niver sa ry of the in de pen dence of the Mot her land, a celeb ra tion on the occa­sion of the com mis sio ning of a new ad mi­nist ra tive buil ding of the Sta te In su rance Or ga ni sa tion was held in the ad mi nist ra­tive cent re of the Bal kan velayat.

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Negotiations between the Presi-dent of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Presi-dent of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who had arrived in our country on a state

visit the day before, were held in the capital city.

In the morning, the motorcade of the leader of the neighbouring country proceeded to Independence Square, where the official welcom-

ing ceremony of the distinguished guest took place.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev passed by the formation of soldiers of the

Guard of Honour and paid tribute to the State Flag of Turkmenistan.

The leaders of the two countries were acquainted with the members of the official delegations of Turk-menistan and Kazakhstan.

At the end of the ceremony, the soldiers of the Guard of Honour solemnly marched through Inde-pendence Square.

Then the motorcade of the distinguished guest, accompa-nied by a horse escort of honour, went to the Oguzhan Presidential Palace Complex. There, at the main entrance, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met his Kazakh counterpart.

At the end of the official pho-tographing ceremony against the background of the State Flags of the two countries, the Turkmen leader invited the head of Kazakhstan to go to the hall for bilateral meetings, where the high-level talks were held in the one-on-one format.

Once again warmly welcoming the distinguished guest, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed Turkmenistan attached great importance to the further expansion and strengthening of comprehensive cooperation with the Republic of Kazakhstan. The national leader expressed his conviction that the results of that day’s meeting would become an important milestone event and would serve as a favourable impetus for the development of the interstate relations across the entire range of political, diplomat-ic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties for many years to come.

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TURKMENISTAN AND KAZAKHSTAN STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THEIR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPNegotiations between President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Thanking his Kazakh counterpart for his personal

contribution to the development of the interstate relations, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reiterated his confidence that the negotiations would give an impe-tus to the further strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to the Turkmen leader for the invita-tion to visit fraternal Turkmeni-stan on a state visit and the warm welcome, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed it was especially pleasant for him to be in the won-derful city of Ashgabat again. As the distinguished guest said, he was once again impressed by the scope and quality of construction carried out in the Turkmen capital city.

As for the visit itself, as the Kazakh leader noted, the prepara-tion for it had been very thorough. In this regard, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev confirmed the desire of the Republic of Kazakhstan to give a serious impetus to the further development of the strategic inter-state partnership.

“The Turkmen people are a fraternal nation for us. The friend-ship between us goes back to the depth of centuries. Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have much in com-mon, which is also due to the pres-ence of a common border. We have the kindest intentions towards the fraternal people of Turkmenistan,” the distinguished guest said.

As President Kassym-Jomart To-kayev noted, he paid great personal attention to the development of the

cooperation between our two coun-tries, which was a priority direction of the foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. And the important documents that would be signed during the visit would determine the field of the further bilateral partner-ship.

The guest of honour once again stressed Turkmenistan had been and remained a very close and fraternal state for Kazakhstan, expressing confidence that the parties would continue to actively interact on the international arena as well. At the same time, the leader of the friendly country noted the Republic of Kazakhstan always had great respect for the neutral status of Turkmenistan, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

In continuation of the talks held in a trusting atmosphere and in a constructive manner, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed a wide range of issues of the Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan cooperation in the context of the implementation of previously reached agreements and long-term plans for the future.

The parties also exchanged views on a number of topical issues on the regional and global agenda that were of mutual interest.

Further the negotiations contin-ued in an extended format, with the participation of members of the offi-cial delegations of the two countries.

Cordially welcoming the distinguished guest and members of the delegation of Kazakhstan to Ashgabat, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for accept-ing the invitation to pay a state visit to Turkmenistan. As the Turkmen leader noted, that visit was consid-ered in our country as the most im-portant stage on the way to further strengthening the Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan relations, which had the character of a strategic partnership.

The head of state continued that a solid contractual and legal framework of cooperation had been developed between our countries, it included 120 international documents cover-ing a variety of areas. This, of course, indicates that there is a huge space for joint activities both in traditional and new areas of partnerships.

Turkmenistan actively cooper-ates with Kazakhstan in strengthen-ing regional and global security. Traditionally, the level of coopera-tion and coordination of joint steps within the framework of major international organisations is high. Trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties are consistently developing.

In general, highly appreciat-ing the content of the interstate relations, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted they were based on the historical traditions of good neighbourliness, respect and trust in each other and the under-standing of the commonality of long-term goals and interests.

The leader of the nation also noted the importance of the bi-lateral partnership in promoting confidence-building measures in Asia. The active participation of the Turkmen delegation in the Sixth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, held recently in Nursultan, was

a confirmation of this. Turkmenistan intends to continue cooperating with the Republic of Kazakhstan in ensuring stability, peace and trust on the Asian continent.

Taking advantage of the oppor-tunity, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov invited the high delegation of the neighbouring country to take part in the Inter-national Conference “The Policy of Peace and Trust – the Basis of International Security, Stability and Development” to be held in Ashga-bat at the end of the current year.

We highly appreciate the sup-port of Kazakhstan for Turkmeni-stan’s neutral foreign policy and its initiatives, including those in such important areas of international partnerships as energy, transport and ecology. Speaking about that, the national leader emphasised the con-sistency and integrity that the Kazakh party always showed when discussing the proposals of the Turkmen party at the United Nations. Acting as a co-sponsor of the draft resolutions of the General Assembly initiated by our country, Kazakhstan also supports its candidacy for membership in various specialised UN bodies.

As recent examples of that, Kazakhstan’s accession to the Group of Friends of Neutrality established on the initiative of Turkmenistan within the walls of the UN and its co-authorship of resolutions on the topic of preventive diplomacy in Central Asia and transport coopera-tion during and after the pandemic can be cited. Our countries have also demonstrated mutual support in the elections to such important UN bodies as the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Human Rights Council and others. In this context, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed sincere gratitude to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Cooperation in the field of scien-tific and medical diplomacy against the background of the fight against the pandemic and its consequences is of an interested character. In this regard, Turkmenistan is grateful to the Kazakh party for the support of its initiative to hold the International Forum on Healthcare and Scien-tific Diplomacy, held in Ashgabat on October 8, and for the active participation of the delegation of the neighbouring state in its work.

As the national leader noted, the Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan partner-ship is a valid factor in the effective response to such urgent threats and challenges as international terror-ism, drug trafficking and cross-border crime.

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zakhstan on the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Cooperation in the context of the development of the situation in Central Asia, where the parties consistently and purposefully inter-acted in the field of ensuring lasting and long-term peace, stability and security, was highlighted separately. Turkmenistan is ready to continue a close political and diplomatic dia-logue with Kazakhstan in this area. In this context, the results of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States held in our country in August were highly ap-preciated.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also spoke about the need to continue coordinat-ing efforts in such important areas as the counteraction against the negative effects of climate change and the careful and rational use of water resources in the Central Asian region. Together with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan will continue to fully support the activities of the Inter-national Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) and to promote effective international participation in the comprehensive solution of the Aral problem.

Speaking about the importance of continuing an interested dis-cussion of Afghan issues with the Kazakh party, the Turkmen leader noted the goals of both countries also coincided in that. Both Turk-menistan and Kazakhstan want to see Afghanistan as a peaceful and stable state and a full-fledged and equal partner and participant in regional international economic processes, involved in infrastructure energy and transport projects.

Our states stand for achiev-ing concord and reconciliation in Afghanistan exclusively by peaceful, political and diplomatic means. In this context, the head of Turkmeni-stan spoke about the expediency of continuing to maintain the bilateral contacts in the Afghan direction

through cooperation between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs with the involvement of other depart-ments of both countries.

Today, it is vital to restore the socioeconomic infrastructure of Afghanistan and to implement significant projects aimed at its inclusion in the system of regional and world economic relations. Turk-menistan is known to be implement-ing a number of major international pipeline, transport, electric power and communications projects with the participation of Afghanistan and is ready to consider a possibility of involving Kazakh partners in their implementation.

Kazakhstan is Turkmenistan’s neighbour on the Caspian Sea. Our cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral formats is the most important factor in turning the Caspian Sea into a space of peace, concord and mutually beneficial partnership. Much has been done in this direction, especially in recent years. The strategic goal had been achieved – the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea had been signed, the leader of the nation said, expressing hope that at the Sixth Summit of the Caspian States to be held in our country, all aspects of the pentalateral interaction would be discussed in detail.

Turkmenistan is also ready to expand partnership with Kazakhstan in the context of the activities of such international structures as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

It is also important to continue constructive and good-neighbourly partnership within the framework of the Commonwealth of Indepen-dent States. Great importance is also attached to cooperation with Kazakhstan within the framework of the Economic Cooperation Organ-isation (ECO). As the Chairman of the ECO, our country is to hold the 15th Summit of this Organisation in Ashgabat on November 28. It will provide an opportunity to discuss promising areas and forms of co-

operation among the ECO member states.

The bilateral trade and economic cooperation is developing consis-tently and steadily. Even against the background of objective difficulties related to the situation in the global economy, the volume of mutual trade turnover, according to Turk-men statistics, had increased by 16.6 per cent in eight months of 2021 compared to the same period of the previous year, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated. Accord-ing to this indicator, Kazakhstan is among the top ten foreign trade partners of Turkmenistan.

Due to mutual efforts, trade and economic contacts have expanded recently, but they are clearly insufficient given the poten-tial that our countries have. In this aspect, the national leader noted the need to intensify the activities of the Turkmen-Kazakh Intergov-ernmental Commission and to involve the business communities in the interstate partnership more effectively.

Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan occupied a strategically signifi-cant geographical position, which determined close cooperation in the transport and transit sphere, taking into account the implementation of international transport corridor projects, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.

In this context, the operating Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway gives great opportunities, providing the shortest route to the Persian Gulf countries. Currently, work is underway with the Chi-nese party to activate the railway, a multimodal transport link China–Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan and fur-ther to the Persian Gulf, increasing the volume of cargo transportation along this route. A legal framework is being developed for intensifying cooperation in this direction. The port facilities of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on the Caspian Sea and the Turkmenbashi–Garabogaz–the border of Kazakhstan highway have a significant potential. By the

way, the Turkmen party initiated the construction of a new bridge there.

Along with this, the Turkmen leader noted the progressive dynam-ics of partnerships in the agroindus-trial complex and the telecommuni-cations sector.

There are good prospects for cooperation in the fuel and energy sector and in the realisation of the mutual potential of the parties as the largest energy suppliers to international markets. A striking example here is the construction of a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China, part of which runs through the territory of Kazakhstan. Our country is ready to discuss in detail technical, organisational and other issues related to the possibilities of organising the supply of Turkmen natural gas.

Industrial cooperation is also seen as an important area of long-term interaction with Kazakhstan. Today, both countries have ac-cumulated extensive experience in the formation and development of various industries, the creation and effective functioning of industrial enterprises.

As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov further empha-sised, cultural and humanitarian cooperation had always played a special role in the Turkmen-Kazakh relations. Contacts in this area will be encouraged and supported at the state level. In this regard, the leader of the nation suggested considering the possibility of organising, under favourable conditions, mutual Days of Culture in 2022.

Scientific and educational coop-eration is also fruitful. To date, about two and a half thousand Turkmen students study at universities in Kazakhstan.

The practice of regular contacts between scientists of the two coun-tries has been established, direct links between the leading universi-ties of Turkmenistan and Kazakh-stan are being intensified.

The summit meeting and negotiations demonstrated that the

bilateral relations were built on a solid foundation of good-neigh-bourliness, equality and mutual respect and developed on clear and understandable principles, mutual understanding that we needed each other and the awareness of the great bilateral potential, the national leader noted.

Speaking about this, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to his Kazakh counterpart and members of the delegation accompanying him for the productive work carried out, constructive attitude and willing-ness to do everything necessary to strengthen the ties of friendship, brotherhood and cooperation be-tween the two countries.

Then the floor was given to the President of the Republic of Kazakh-stan.

Thanking the national leader and the entire Turkmen people once again for the cordial welcome and traditionally warm hospitality, the head of Kazakhstan stressed he attached exceptional importance to his first state visit to fraternal Turk-menistan. This event is of a special character and is a step towards the Turkmen partners in achiev-ing a common goal – bringing the bilateral relations of friendship, good-neighbourliness and mutual support to a qualitatively new stra-tegic level.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said it was very symbolic that the meeting took place in the year of the 30th anniversary of the independence of both states. Tak-ing advantage of the opportunity, the distinguished guest, on behalf of all Kazakhstanis, cordially con-gratulated President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Turk-men people on that anniversary milestone.

Under the wise and authorita-tive leadership of its head of state, Turkmenistan is celebrating this significant date in the status of a modern state that plays a significant role in the development of regional and international cooperation.

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TURKMENISTAN AND KAZAKHSTAN STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THEIR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPNegotiations between President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

The Republic of Kazakhstan supported the peace-loving

policy of Turkmenistan and the initiatives of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, aimed at further strengthening cooperation both in the Central Asian region and throughout the Eurasian space, the head of the friendly country stressed.

This strategy is invariably con-structive. Kazakhstan fully supports the neutrality of Turkmenistan, which has received the support of the UN General Assembly.

Turkmenistan recently organ-ised a Consultative Meeting of the leaders of the states of the region in the pearl of the Caspian Sea – Avaza. It was extremely productive and, of course, gave a serious impetus to the interaction of all Central Asian states.

Kazakhstan supports the holding of a significant event, the Summit of the Caspian States, in Turkmenistan in the near future.

Designating trade and economic cooperation as the core of the bilat-eral multifaceted ties, the Kazakh leader noted that following the results of eight months of that year, a significant increase in mutual trade was observed.

At the same time, it seems advis-able to focus on working out joint “anchor projects” in the fields of energy, mechanical engineering, in-dustry, agriculture and other sectors and in the investment sphere.

Touching upon the topic of humanitarian ties, the distinguished guest confirmed Kazakhstan’s readi-ness to expand cooperation in that area, serving as a kind of bridge of friendship between the two states.

As for the further interstate cooperation, the head of the Repub-lic of Kazakhstan noted he would continue to pay priority attention to all relevant issues, which, due to mutual political will, were positive in nature and were aimed at giving an additional impetus to the bilateral strategic partnership.

Thanking President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov once again for the warm hospitality, the distinguished guest shared his impressions of Ash-gabat – a beautiful city, which gave great pleasure to all members of the Kazakh delegation.

In conclusion, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev invited the Turkmen leader to pay a state visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan the following year at a convenient time for him.

At the end of the Turkmen-Kazakh negotiations in an extended

format, a ceremony of signing bilat-eral documents was held.

In the presence of the heads of state, the parties signed the follow-ing:

The Memorandum on the basic principles of cooperation in the field of railway transport and container transportation development between the Türkmendemirýollary Agency of the Agency of Transport and Com-munications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Joint-Stock Company Kazakhstan Temir Žoly National Company; the Agreement of intent for the con-struction of a cable border crossing and the docking of infocommunica-tion telecommunication networks of CE Türkmentelekom and JSC Jusan Mobile on the Turkmenistan/Republic of Kazakhstan frontier; the Memorandum of Understanding on trade cooperation between the Min-istry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of culture between the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic

of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum of Understanding between the Turkmenawtoulaglary Agency of the Agency for Transport and Com-munications on the development of international road transportation under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Devel-opment of the Republic of Kazakh-stan; the Memorandum on Coop-eration between the State Statistics Committee of Turkmenistan and the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of the Republic of Kazakh-stan; the Memorandum of Intent on cooperation in the social and labour sphere between the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum of Understanding on the transportation and transit of goods and passengers between the Agency of Transport and Com-munications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastruc-ture Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum

of Understanding on cooperation in the field of agriculture between the Ministry of Agriculture and Envi-ronment Protection of Turkmeni-stan and the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of environ-ment protection between the Minis-try of Agriculture and Environment Protection of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum on cooperation in the field of informa-tion between the State Committee of Turkmenistan on Television, Radio Broadcasting and Cinematography and the Ministry of Information and Public Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Agreement on the organisation of the exchange of preliminary information on goods and vehicles transported between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan between the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Agree-ment on cooperation in the field of defence between the Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Defence of the Repub-

lic of Kazakhstan; the Agreement on cooperation in the field of civil defence, prevention and liquidation of emergency situations between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Agreement on the regime of the Turkmenistan–Ka-zakhstan State Frontier between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

To the applause of those present, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed the Joint Statement and the Treaty on the delimitation of the Turkmeni-stan–Kazakhstan State Frontier and the delimitation of adjacent sections of fishing zones in the Caspian Sea between Turkmenistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan.

It is noteworthy that on the same day, the Memorandum of Coopera-tion online between the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Turkmenistan and the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; the Memorandum of Understanding between Magtymgu-ly Turkmen State University

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Saturday 30 October 20215

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(Turkmenistan) and the Non-Profit Joint-Stock Company Al-

Farabi Kazakh National University (Republic of Kazakhstan) and the Memorandum of Understanding be-tween the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan (Turk-menistan) and the Non-Profit Joint-Stock Company Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Republic of Kazakhstan) were also signed. Being added to the impressive package of the signed bilateral documents, they further strengthened the regulatory framework of multi-vector Turk-menistan–Kazakhstan cooperation.

At the end of the signing cer-emony, the heads of the two states gave the press conference.

Commenting on the results of the summit, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed grati-tude to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and all members of the del-egation of the Republic of Kazakh-stan for the constructive talks that had taken place in an atmosphere of openness, mutual trust and under-standing.

During the meeting, the state and prospects of the bilateral rela-tions were discussed, and specific areas for further interaction were identified. The long-term and strategic nature of the Turkmeni-stan–Kazakhstan cooperation was confirmed, the readiness to do everything necessary to strengthen interstate relations and to maximise the enormous potential of partner-ships between our countries was expressed.

Special attention was paid to the issues of strengthening peace, stability and security. In this context, the national leader emphasised that Turkmenistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan demonstrated the unity or similarity of their positions on most issues of international and regional politics, which was the key to successful cooperation on the world arena.

In this context, the proven prac-tice of mutual support in the UN and other authoritative international organisations will continue. Our countries will also continue to co-operate in the effective fight against modern global threats. Such a partnership will be carried out both at the bilateral level and within the framework of international organ-isations. In this context, the proven practice of mutual support in the UN and other authoritative interna-tional organisations will continue. Our countries will also continue to cooperate in countering modern global threats. The partnerships will be implemented at the bilateral level and within international organisa-tions.

As the head of Turkmenistan noted, agreements were reached on further promoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of scientific and medical diplomacy and in the fight against the spread of dangerous viral infections and their consequences.

During the negotiations, issues of interaction in Central Asia were discussed in detail. Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan see this region as a solid link of strategic stability in Eurasia and a place for the imple-mentation of large-scale energy, transport and environmental proj-ects of global significance.

In this context, the parties highly value the growing level of coop-eration and mutual understanding among the countries of the region, a striking indicator of which was the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia held in Turk-menistan in August this year and the important agreements reached during it. The mutual determination to fulfil them had been confirmed, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed.

Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan will continue to closely cooperate on the Caspian Sea in accordance with the principles of good neighbourli-ness, equality, mutual respect and consideration of the interests of all Caspian states. The firm adherence to the spirit and letter of the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea was reaffirmed. The parties agreed to continue a detailed discussion on various aspects and prospects of the Caspian interaction at the forthcoming Sixth Caspian Summit to be held in Turkmenistan, the national leader noted.

Turkmenistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan stand for the earliest possible achievement of peace and concord in Afghanistan and its effective integration into regional economic and infrastructure proj-ects. An agreement was reached to continue the dialogue on Afghan issues at the level of the foreign min-istries of the two countries.

A special place in the negotia-tions was given to environmental issues, in particular, to further en-hancing and improving the activities of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea.

The head of Turkmenistan also said that during the summit meeting, the consistent, interested and mutually beneficial nature of the bilateral trade and economic partnerships had been noted, and the mutual readiness to expand and diversify it had been confirmed.

The energy, transport and com-munications sectors and a number of other areas were highlighted among the priority areas. In this context, the importance of involving business circles of the two coun-tries in interstate cooperation was emphasised.

Cultural and humanitarian ties were given a due place in the negotiations. The mutual readiness had been confirmed for their further build-up and the encouragement of contacts between representatives of the creative intelligentsia and workers of culture and art, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.

A high assessment was given to the level of interaction in the scientific and educational spheres

expanding with every passing year and being carried out on a system-atic and long-term basis. This is evidenced by the signing during this visit of the documents on coopera-tion between a number of leading universities of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, thus opening up broad prospects of research activities, stu-dent exchange and the development of joint educational programmes and projects. Our country highly appreciates this and is grateful to the Kazakh party for the continued assistance rendered in the training of young Turkmen specialists at its educational institutions.

Addressing the media, the leader of the nation emphasised the state visit of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had showed that Turk-menistan saw a reliable friend and responsible partner in Kazakhstan.

We are grateful to the Republic of Kazakhstan for the continued support of the neutral foreign policy course and international initiatives of our country on topical issues of global development. In turn, Turkmenistan also supported Kazakhstan in all its constructive endeavours, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted.

Expressing special gratitude to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev for his great personal attention to cooperation with our country, the Turkmen leader expressed deep sat-isfaction with the results of the visit, during which a substantial package of bilateral documents had been signed in various spheres.

Today, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have once again dem-onstrated their commitment and desire for a close and multifaceted dialogue in the long term. This met the fundamental interests of the two fraternal peoples, served their wellbeing and prosperity and made a significant contribution to main-taining and strengthening peace, security and stability on the planet, the head of Turkmenistan stressed, concluding his address to the media.

Commenting on the results of the summit, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that day a number of important documents had been adopted, among which the Treaty on the delimitation of the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan State Frontier and the delimitation of adjacent sections of fishing zones in the Caspian Sea and the Inter-governmental Agreement on the frontier regime had a special place. Thus, we were completing the legal registration of land and sea borders between our countries, the head of the Republic of Kazakhstan stated.

The parties reaffirmed their mutual intention to continue to bring the fraternal peoples closer together and to comprehensively intensify the interstate relations. The very substantial and fruitful talks took place, during which primary at-tention was paid to promoting trade and economic cooperation, and the agreements on a wide range of issues were reached.

In this context, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted a significant increase in bilateral trade that year, which was particularly important after a slight decline amid the pandemic. Our countries have a significant potential to further increase trade turnover. The energy, transport, logistics, agricultural, industrial and other sectors have huge reserves.

Therefore, the parties agreed to take a series of measures for boost-ing the bilateral trade. The govern-ments of the two countries were instructed to use the existing mutual export potential to broaden the range of exported goods.

In this context, the distinguished guest confirmed Kazakhstan’s readi-ness to increase the supply of metal-lurgical, engineering, petrochemical, food and pharmaceutical products. The Kazakh party has prepared a list of goods that could be supplied to the Turkmen market. The increased exports of agricultural products, especially flour and wheat, is also deemed to be promising.

The railway sector offers good opportunities to expand coop-eration. Kazakh companies are interested in increasing the export of modern locomotives, passenger car-riages and a wide range of compo-nents for Turkmen railways.

Along with this, the prospects of cooperation in the aerospace sector were noted during the talks.

With the aim to boost the eco-nomic cooperation, the governments of the two countries were instructed to speed up the signing of the Agree-ment on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments.

The parties also confirmed their readiness to work on joint “anchor projects” in a number of economic sectors. The partnerships in the gas industry offers good opportunities. In this regard, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said he had asked President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to consider the possibility of supplying Turkmen gas to the Kazakh market at mutually acceptable prices and fully supported the opinion of the leader of Turkmenistan on the importance of taking a consistent and systematic approach to address that issue.

With the aim to implement fully the mutual trade and economic potential, Kazakhstan proposed to hold annual interregional forums, since that format had proven its effectiveness. Based on the results of the work undertaken in the Man-gistau Region, a special border trade zone with a car cargo terminal could be created in the Balkan velayat. In this context, the distinguished guest called upon the governments of the two countries to consider that pos-sibility.

The topical issues under discus-sion included the transport and transit sector that had a significant potential. In this regard, the main task is to make the most use of the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran highway. The importance of optimis-ing the tariff policy and improving

transportation conditions in the two countries to boost the growth in transport volumes was emphasised.

Logistics interaction among the Caspian ports of Aktau, Kuryk and Turkmenbashi has ample opportuni-ties to develop. Noting the impor-tance of further developing road networks, the Kazakh party wel-comed the initiative of the Turkmen leader to build a bridge across the Garabogaz Bay to open a new motor road towards Kazakhstan and was ready to consider the possibilities of implementing jointly that promising project.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the talks had also been focused on further strengthening the cultural and humanitarian contacts that served as a reliable factor in the sustainable long-term interstate relations.

The parties agreed to hold the reciprocal Days of Culture. The distinguished guest said he had proposed to hold the Days of Turk-men Culture in Kazakhstan in 2022. This creative action will become a significant event in the cultural life of the country and will undoubtedly be a success.

The importance of expanding youth contacts, including intensify-ing the interaction in the education sector, was confirmed. Kazakhstan shares the opinion of the Turkmen party on the importance of estab-lishing cooperation in this sphere.

An exchange of views on topical issues of the regional and global agenda also took place. In particular, the parties highlighted the impor-tance of continuing to coordinate the activities and the development of co-herent approaches in the main areas of regional cooperation in Central Asia. In this context, the parties em-phasised the exceptional importance of the high-quality implementation of the agreements reached at the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State, which had been held success-fully in Turkmenbashi.

The situation in Afghanistan was also discussed substantively, and the emphasis was placed on the need to continue close multilateral inter-action to strengthen stability and security in that country. It was noted that Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan had the identical positions on the Afghan issues.

President Kassym-Jomart To-kayev emphasised that the negotia-tions had reaffirmed the common vision and similar positions on the majority of international issues. Ka-zakhstan expressed firm support for the policy of neutrality of Turkmeni-stan on the world arena.

Thanking once again his Turk-men counterpart for the hospitality and excellent conditions for fruitful work, the Kazakh leader expressed belief that the results of the talks held would serve to strengthen the bonds of friendship and good neigh-bourliness between the two peoples and would open up new horizons to bring interstate partnership to new strategic heights.

4

Saturday 30 October 20216

TURKMENISTAN AND KAZAKHSTAN STRENGTHEN THE FOUNDATIONS

OF THEIR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPNegotiations between President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

In conclusion, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said he

had invited President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan the following year at any convenient time.

After the press conference, the solemn ceremony of presenting the state award of Turkmenistan to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan took place.

In our beautiful capital, Ashga-bat, we were glad to receive friends from brotherly Kazakhstan, rela-tions with which were always char-acterised by sincerity and openness and were based on strong bonds of mutual trust, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, addressing the distinguished guest, the official delegations of the two countries and media representatives.

Relying on its status of perma-nent neutrality twice recognised by the resolutions of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan maintains an active and constructive dialogue with many countries of the world. In this context, the promotion and enhancement of the relations with Kazakhstan had an important place in the foreign policy agenda of our state, the leader of the nation said. We are bound by close friendly relations, historical community and cultural affinity of the peoples of the two countries.

The fruitful interstate contacts at various levels vividly exemplify effective interaction within political and diplomatic, trade and eco-nomic, humanitarian and cultural partnerships. Turkmenistan valued the high level of cooperation with Kazakhstan, and would continue to make the necessary efforts to strengthen it further, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasised.

The leader of Turkmenistan further noted Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev was known as a prominent political figure who had earned profound respect and international recognition for his constructive activities and high professionalism. Holding various diplomatic posts over the years, he made a significant contribution to strengthening peace and stability not only regionally, but also glob-ally.

He pays great attention to strengthening the Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan multifaceted relations and today, being the President of friendly Kazakhstan, is making a profound contribution to the further cooperation between our countries. The Turkmen leader also

emphasised the support provided by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to promoting the neutral policy of Turkmenistan during his tenure as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Taking into consideration the aforesaid, the President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced with special joy the decision to award the Bitaraplyk Order of Turkmeni-stan to Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev.

Congratulating his Kazakh counterpart on the high award, the leader of Turkmenistan

wished good health and every success in their work to him and all members of the delegation, and peace, prosperity and wellbeing to the brotherly people of Kazakh-stan.

To the applause of those present, the leader of the nation presented the Bitaraplyk Order to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in a solemn atmosphere.

Expressing profound gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the honour, the leader of the Republic of Ka-zakhstan emphasised he considered

that decision and award a symbol of centuries-old friendship and good neighbourliness between the two fraternal peoples and vivid evidence for the mutual intention to bring our states closer together and to strengthen the Kazakhstan–Turk-menistan strategic partnerships.

The very name of the Order speaks volumes. “Bitaraplyk” is the quintessence of the entire inter-national policy of Turkmenistan and its real authority in the world community.

As it was noted, all national and international achievements of Turk-

menistan were linked inextricably with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The Turkmen leader is known and respected worldwide as a prominent and authoritative statesman.

Last year, Turkmenistan celebrated the 25th anniversary of its permanent neutrality. Firmly adhering to this status and preserv-ing its identity, the country has achieved outstanding success in state-building, making a signifi-cant contribution to strengthening universal security and stability and promoting equal cooperation in Central Asia and the Caspian region.

Expressing belief that the Turk-men people would continue to move forward along the path of sus-tainable development and progress under the far-sighted leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the leader of Kazakhstan once again thanked the leader of the nation for presenting the high state award.

In the afternoon, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev visited the Halk Hakydasy memorial complex, where he laid flowers at the Baky Şöhrat monument im-mortalising the national heroes – the valiant defenders of the Moth-erland. The leader of Kazkastan visited the Watan Mukaddesligi museum located in the territory of the Memorial Complex and wrote an entry to the Book of Guests of Honour.

President Kassym-Jomart To-kayev laid flowers at the Monument of Independence of Turkmenistan. Following a good tradition, the leader of the neighbouring state planted a young tree as a symbol of unshakable friendly Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan relations on the Alley of Guests of Honour in the Indepen-dence Park.

On that day, the distinguished guest donated a bus made in Ka-zakhstan to the leader of Turkmeni-stan on behalf of the Kazakh people as a sign of friendship and brother-hood.

In the evening, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave an official dinner in honour of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, at which the leaders of the two countries exchanged speeches.

Upon completing his state visit to Turkmenistan, the leader of the Republic of Kazakhstan went to the International Airport in the capital city and left Ashgabat.

State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)

5

Saturday 30 October 20217

The Cham ber of Com merce and In dust ry hos ted the XXVI In ter na tio nal Con fe rence “Oil and Gas of Turk me nis­tan–2021”, or ga ni sed by the Türk men gaz and Türk men ne bit Sta te Concerns and the Türk men geo lo gi ýa Sta te Cor po ra tion in part ners hip with the Turk men Fo rum Econo mic Society with the sup port of the Bri tish com pa ny Gaff neyCli ne.

The oil and gas in dust ry is the lea ding branch of the na­tio nal econo my, which plays a sig ni ficant ro le in en su ring the dy na mic socioecono mic develop ment of the count ry.

Having hu ge re serves of hyd rocar bon re sources, in de­pen dent neut ral Turk me nis tan, un der the lea ders hip of Pre si­dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov, con sis tent ly imp le ments a comp re hen sive stra te gy ai med at the in novative develop­ment of the do mes tic fu el and ener gy sector. Its key com­po nents are the op ti mal rea li sa tion of the richest po ten tial of the oil and gas comp lex, the mo der ni sa tion of the pro fi le inf rast ructu re ba sed on advanced techno lo gies and develop­ments, in which special at en tion is pa id to the environ men­tal factor, the capacity buil ding of the mi ning and proces sing sectors and the diver si fication of export rou tes of “blue fu el”.

This year, mar ked by the glo rious da te, the 30th an niver­sa ry of the in de pen dence of our Mot her land, this pres ti gious fo rum, ai med at strengt he ning and develo ping in ter na tio nal coo pe ra tion in the ener gy sector, was held not on ly in the tra di tio nal for mat, but al so was broadcast from Ash ga bat on­li ne to do zens of count ries around the world.

Among its par ticipants we re heads of govern ment structu res, re levant mi nist ries, de part ments and re pu tab le or ga ni sa tions and rep re sen ta tives of fo reign me dia accre di­ted to Turk me nis tan.

Rep re sen ta tives of over 100 com pa nies, ma jor in ter na­tio nal or ga ni sa tions and banks from mo re than 30 count ries joi ned the discus sions of the fo rum via the di gi tal sys tem.

Such a so lid com po si tion of par ticipants is a vivid con­fir ma tion of the great in te rest on the part of the bu si ness circles of diff e rent count ries in buil ding up pro ductive coo­pe ra tion with Turk me nis tan, which has an enor mous ener gy po ten tial and ta kes one of the lea ding po si tions in the world in terms of hyd rocar bon re serves.

Their de si re to strengt hen part ners hips with our sta te is al­so con di tio ned by the open­doors po licy and const ructive ini­tia tives of the na tio nal lea der to en su re glo bal ener gy securi ty.

At the ope ning cere mo ny of the Con fe rence “Oil and Gas of Turk me nis tan–2021”, the au dience lis te ned with great at en tion to the Add ress of Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov to its par ticipants.

“The In ter na tio nal Con fe rence, held an nual ly in or der to wi de ly fa mi lia ri se the world com mu ni ty with the achieve­ments of the count ry’s oil and gas in dust ry and to exchan­ge expe rience with fo reign part ners, is of great im por tance in the on going work on the explo ra tion and develop ment of ener gy re sources and the con for ma tion of the pro ducti­on po ten tial of the in dust ry in li ne with in ter na tio nal stan­dards,” the mes sa ge of the lea der of the na tion sa ys.

Over the years of in de pen dence, the oil and gas in dust ry has become one of the prio ri ties of the count ry’s econo mic develop ment. The steps, ta ken wit hin the fra me work of the sta te’s ener gy stra te gy to use the hyd rocar bon re sources of the count ry in the in te rests of the Turk men peop le and the peop les of ot her sta tes, give po si tive re sults.

The Add ress of Pre si dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov al so emp ha si sed that, being one of the sta tes expor ting lar ge volu mes of ener gy re sources, Turk me nis tan was a sup por ter of crea ting stab le in ter na tio nal sys tems for trans por ting tho se re sources ab road. The diver si fication of export rou tes and the crea tion of a mul ti­vector pi pe li ne sys tem have become the ma in di rections of the ener gy po licy of our in de pen dent sta te.

The ple na ry ses sion of the Con fe rence was devoted to trends and pros pects of the develop ment of the glo bal ener­gy sys tem. As the rep re sen ta tives of the Turk men par ty no­ted, in ter na tio nal coo pe ra tion in that stra te gic area was con­si de red by our count ry as one of the de ter mi ning factors of com mon well being, prog ress and pros pe ri ty. Striving to put its colos sal re source po ten tial at the service of all hu man­kind, Turk me nis tan, as one of the world’s lea ding ener gy po wers, con sis tent ly cont ri bu tes to the for ma tion of a new archi tectu re of the glo bal ener gy sys tem and ta kes concre te mea su res to imp le ment it in practice.

Among the most im por tant steps being ta ken in this di recti on is the develop ment of a draft prog ram me of the

develop ment of ener gy dip lo macy of Turk me nis tan for 2021–2025. This document de fi nes the key vectors of coo­pe ra tion with the UN specia li sed agencies, the In ter na tio nal Ener gy Agency, the Ener gy Char ter Secre ta riat and ot her re­levant structu res.

Spea king on li ne, the Secre ta ry Ge ne ral of the Or ga ni sa­tion of Pet ro leum Expor ting Count ries (OPEC) Mo ham med Sa nu si Bar kin do to ok the op por tu ni ty to cong ra tu la te Pre si­dent Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov and the en ti re Turk men peop le on the sig ni ficant an niver sa ry – the 30th an niver sa ry of sta te in de pen dence.

It was no ted that since gai ning sovereign ty, due to the ra pid growth of the econo my, Turk me nis tan had achieved great re sults, in which the oil and gas in dust ry and the develop ment of part ners hips with in ter na tio nal oil and gas com pa nies had played an im por tant ro le. The he ad of OPEC con fir med the de si re of the Or ga ni sa tion of Pet ro leum Expor ting Count ries to strengt hen pro ductive re la tions with Turk me nis tan in a num ber of areas, in par ticular, in en su ring sta bi li ty in the in ter na tio nal oil mar ket.

In the speeches of fo reign par ticipants, special emp ha sis was placed on the environ men tal as pect of part ners hips in the oil and gas sector. Touching upon the to pic of in ter na tio­nal coo pe ra tion, it was sta ted that recent years had mar ked a re al breakth rough in the develop ment of in ters ta te re la tions, the fruits of which had be en im por tant joint pro jects.

It should be no ted that to day, in the age of advanced techno lo gies and science, the con sump tion of cru de oil

and pet ro leum pro ducts is gro wing, special at en tion is pa­id to the develop ment of the pet roche mical in dust ry, and the volu me of proces sing and export of ener gy re sources is increa sing. In ge ne ral, all this ref ects the success ful imp le­men ta tion of the stra te gy of the diver si fication of the econo­my of Turk me nis tan and the in dust ria li sa tion of the count ry.

Then the work of the Con fe rence con ti nued in works­hops. The discus sion in the first of them on the to pic “Invest­ment op por tu ni ties of the oil and gas sector: an overview of ons ho re invest ment pro jects” inclu ded such to pical is sues for our count ry as geo lo gical explo ra tion in the oil and gas in dust ry, new pro jects to mo der ni se the pro ducti on capaci­ties of the Turk men bas hi comp lex of oil re fi ne ries, the expe­rience and pros pects of the develop ment of the Gal ky nysh field, the la test up da te of its geo lo gical mo del, the im por­tance of access to low­car bon ener gy and the fu tu re of Turk­me nis tan’s na tu ral gas exports.

In the pre sen ta tions, special im por tance was at ached to the work car ried out wit hin the fra me work of the Prog ram­me of the develop ment of the oil and gas in dust ry of Turk me­nis tan for the pe riod up to 2030.

An im por tant step to wards the imp le men ta tion of Turk­me nis tan’s ener gy stra te gy and the strengt he ning of the raw ma te rial ba se of export gas pi pe li nes was the com mis sio­ning of the world’s lar gest gas field Gal ky nyş, from which the trans na tio nal Turk me nis tan–Chi na gas pi pe li ne runs. Turk­men na tu ral gas has be en expor ted to the PRC un der this sys tem for mo re than eleven years.

Spea king about the ur gent tasks set by the he ad of sta­te Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov for the ne ar fu tu re, the spea kers stres sed that, along with the diver si fication of ener­gy supp lies to world mar kets, much at en tion was pa id to increa sing oil pro ducti on, strengt he ning the raw ma te rial ba­se of the in dust ry through the se arch and explo ra tion of new hyd rocar bon de po sits and the in ten si fication of dril ling and ma jor re pairs of wells with the involvement of specia li sed fo­reign com pa nies and their capi tal invest ments as well.

The re ports no ted that, being an ini tia tive par ticipant in in ter na tio nal proces ses, Turk me nis tan off ers its hu ge po ten tial for use in the com mon in te rest, voicing its vision of sus tai nab le goals and op por tu ni ties to achieve them. The stra te gy imp le­men ted in this area un der the lea ders hip of the he ad of sta te Gurbanguly Ber di mu ha me dov imp lies the prio ri ty of high­tech in dust ries and the crea tion of con di tions for the develop ment of a “green econo my” as a ba sic ele ment of the functio ning of the en ti re li fe sup port inf rast ructu re of the sta te.

A num ber of documents we re sig ned wit hin the fra me­work of the fo rum. In par ticular, the par ties sig ned the fol lo­wing: the Me mo ran dum of Un ders tan ding on the pro ducti on of am mo nia and met ha nol by the mo ne ti sa tion of na tu ral gas bet ween the Türk men gaz Sta te Concern and the Hal dor Top soe A/S Com pa ny (King dom of Den mark); the Cont ract for 3D and 2D stu dies in the eas tern part of the Go tur de pe oil and gas field in the Bal kan zo ne in the west of Turk me nis tan and in the Sout hern Bu run dist rict bet ween the Türk men geo­lo gi ýa Sta te Cor po ra tion and the Yug­Neft e gaz Private Li mi­ted Com pa ny (Re pub lic of Sin ga po re); the Cont ract for the develop ment and const ructi on of the third shi pyard for the proces sing of oil and oil pro ducts at the Coas tal As semb ly and Loa ding Re fi ne ry of the Turk men bas hi comp lex of re fi ne­ries bet ween the Turk men bas hi comp lex and the Pet ro Gas LLP Com pa ny (UK).

The Con fe rence con ti nued its work the fol lo wing day. The par ticipants discus sed a wi de ran ge of is sues in such works­hops as “Invest ment op por tu ni ties in the oil and gas sector: an overview of invest ment pro jects ons ho re and in the Turk­men sector of the Cas pian Sea”, “Cur rent trends in fi nancing invest ment pro jects”, “Na tu ral gas and al ter na tive ener gy so urces – the key to the tran si tion to a low­car bon fu tu re” and “Mo dern achievements and know­how in the field of re­search and develop ment”.

Du ring the fo rum, held in a hyb rid for mat, a live broad­cast was provided from the exhi bi tion pavilion of Turk me nis­tan at the World Expo 2020 (Du bai, UAE), whe re the works­hop on the to pic “Na tu ral gas and al ter na tive ener gy so urces – the key to the tran si tion to a low­car bon fu tu re” was held si mul ta neous ly with Ash ga bat.

Du ring the two­day Con fe rence, various oil and gas com­pa nies of the world ma de pre sen ta tions and sha red their accumu la ted expe rience and new develop ments.

On the si de­li nes of the fo rum, mee tings we re held bet­ween rep re sen ta tives of the do mes tic fu el and ener gy sector and their fo reign part ners to discuss areas for furt her coo­pe ra tion.

State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)

Pho to: Ha san MA GA DOV

Pre si dent Gurbanguly BER DI MU HA ME DOV:

EXPAN SION OF EXPORT ROU TES – A STRA TE GY TO EN SU RE GLO BAL ENER GY SECURI TY

XXVI In ter na tio nal Con fe rence “Oil and Gas of Turk me nis tan–2021”

Saturday 30 October 20218

Neutral Turkmenistan

The supplement to

The newspaper is published by the Publishing Centre of Turkmenistan; 20, 1995 Str., Ashgabat The Publishing Centre of Turkmenistan is responsible for the print quality

Ashgabat, Garashsyzlyk shayoly:Center for Free Creativity of Turkmenbashi.E-mail: neutralturkmenistan­gazeti@online.tm

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tel:Editor­in­Chief 38­61­18Commissioning Editor 39­95­88Secretariat 39­95­82Editor­in­Chief

Maya ALIMOVA Price 30 tenge

Number of copies 8,000 A ­ 108055

IM MU NI TY PRO TECTING HEALTH

Rocks, wind, snow, low temperatures and oxygen de­ficiency make the mountain peaks difficult to reach. But despite this, people have been striving to conquer them since ancient times. Is this why mountain peaks are re­vered as places of patience and endurance, spirituality and holiness? For example, Mount Kailash in India, Mount Fuji, Mount Sulaiman­Too in Kyrgyzstan, Mount Khan Tengri in Tianshan on the border of three states, Kazakhstan, Kyr­gyzstan and China, and Mount Ararat that Armenia and Turkey associate with their culture. Likewise, the top of the Koytendag ridge – Mount Ayry­baba is not only the highest point of those mountains and Turkmenistan (3,139 metres above sea level), but is also is a sanctuary revered by local people.

When approaching the Koytendag Mountains, the summit can be seen for hundreds of kilometres away. It can be seen in snow and cumulus clouds, in fogs and un­der a bright sun, in any weather. Its majesty is so atractive that you cannot take your eyes off. In winter, those places are covered with snow, some niches have the ice cover ten metres thick. In summer, standing on the summit, you can admire goats and mountain rams grazing in the mountain meadows and watch the birds of prey soaring at lower al­titudes. In early spring, and sometimes even in February, the rare Crocus korolkowii blooms there at the edge of the melting snow. Though there are peaks which are higher than Ayry­baba, but it takes much effort to reach it and not many daredevils dare to make such a journey. In winter, mountaineers come there to test their fortitude. Pilgrims arrive and tourists from among nature lovers venture into those places in summer, when the snow melts.

Those mountains are shrouded in legends. One of them tells that many mountain ridges in the world “competed” for the right to become a haven for Noah’s ark. The top of the Koytendag Mountains was “self­righteous and proud, believing that it was it that would get this honour.” But the ark at high speed rammed the top, divided it into two parts and moved further without stopping. So, the mountain has

two tops, one slightly higher than the other. The saddle be­tween the peaks really looks like a trail from the ark. This explains the name of Mount Ayry­baba, which means “di­vided holy mountain”; “Ayry” from Turkmen means “sepa­rately”, and “Baba” is a holy person or an old man. Usually the affixes “baba” and “ata” give significance to a place or an object and necessitates treating the object with re­spect, for example, Gaynar­baba, Chinar­ata, etc.

According to another version, a spiritual missionary preacher ascended from there to heaven. In memory of this, a tombstone is installed there, next to the abyss. Fol­lowing the tradition, those fond of pilgrimage to sacred places go around it. According to popular belief, a truly re­pentant person receives forgiveness from above in those places. Local people also practice a cult rite of building hills of small stones – a symbolic place of their repose. They believe that such a hill in a revered place “bestows” health and longevity on the person even during his or her lifetime.

There is a very practical assumption about the hills of stones. Closer to the top, starting from an altitude of more than 2,800 metres above sea level, the surface of the mountain has no soil and vegetation cover, only rare plants clinging to rocks and handfuls of soil in the openings be­tween the rocks. Even the juniper is in a depressed state, spreading along the ground – high­altitudes winds can be strong. The winds twist the trunk of the juniper into a spiral and bend it to the ground. As a result, the tree acquires a dwarf shape and turns into a cushion plant of thorny shrubs. The peak has a snow cover for most of the year. It is composed of rocks of the Jurassic period – limestones that go weathering and slow destruction under the infu­ence of external natural factors. As a result, the upper layer of rocks is formed by small pieces of limestone with sharp edges. Such clastic rocks are scatered on the entire slope below the summit. It is very difficult to climb up such sharp stones – you can wear out your shoes when ascending or

descending it even once. So, people came up with such a “belief” to clear at least one path from stones which are as sharp as knives.

Those who have overcome this obstacle will have an exciting journey to the natural groto located on the north­ern side of the cliff. It is 3 metres long and 3.5 metres wide; it let a visitor enter it in full growth – it is 2.5 metres high. People believe that it was in this groto that Caliph Ali, who once lived in those places, talked to the Almighty. At first, he did not find understanding among the inhabitants of the present­day Sherabad valley, located on the eastern side of the Koytendag ridge, until he suggested a way to quickly descend from the inaccessible eastern slope to come to the uninvited guests from the rear. It should be noted that the mountains have a complex relief, and their slopes are asymmetric: the eastern one is a steep, almost sheer cliff of up to 500 metres, bordered by a train of ta­lus, and the western one is gentler, cut by numerous deep gorges and ravines, it descends towards the Koyten River that separates the main ridge from the neighbouring low­mountain heights.

According to legend, the caliph climbed the mountains along the western slope, set up his camp right at the top that offers a good view in clear weather. Ali descended from the inaccessible eastern slope with the help of a silk rope, which was fixed on a hook­shaped rock. He taught local residents to do it. Their descendants say Ali trans­formed this rock himself so that it took the desired shape. A hook­shaped rock really exists.

Shaniyaz MENLIYEV, the Head at the Research Department, Koytendag

State Natural Reserve, Environment Protection Service, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment

Protection of TurkmenistanPhoto: the author

We all know that the hu man im mu­ne sys tem is pri ma ri ly res pon sib le for pro tecting from various un favou rab le environ men tal factors and from harm ful micro bes and viru ses, which it “recog ni­ses” and “neut ra li ses”. Pro bab ly everyo­ne knows that the re are two ty pes of im mu ni ty: nons pecific and specific. Des­pi te the scien ti fical ly soun ded expres­sions, they can be explai ned simp ly: we receive specific im mu ni ty by in he ri tance, through the ge nes of our pa rents, but as for nons pecific im mu ni ty, we develop our selves, because viru ses cons tant ly

mu ta te and the bo dy is forced to rear­ran ge it self in or der to crea te pro tecti on against them.

Un for tu na te ly, over the years, hu­man im mu ni ty un der goes a num ber of sig­ni­ficant­chan­ges.­By­the­age­of­15,­the hu man im mu ne sys tem reaches its pe­ak,­af­er­which­it­gra­dual­ly­decrea­ses.­The re fo re, im mu ni ty must be cons tant ly main tai ned, increa sed and strengt he ned. Mo­reover,­this­is­a­simp­le­mat­er­and­the­advice of me dical specia lists will help you increa se and strengt hen your im mu ni ty wit­hin­a­short­pe­riod­ti­me.

The­first­step­in­main­tai­ning­im­mu­ni­ty­is fol lo wing the ru les of per so nal hy gie ne. Our skin and mucous memb ra nes must al ways be cle an, we must re gu lar ly bat he, wash our faces and brush our teeth, wash our­hands­af­er­re­tur­ning­ho­me­from­out­si­de­and­con­tacting­with­ob­jects­that­may­be­so­urces­of­in­fecti­on,­rin­se­the­si­nu­ses­of­no se, mouth and throat and we ar a mask. With­the­se­simp­le­actions,­we­will­help­our­im mu ni ty to be stron ger.

Fresh air is very im por tant for im mu­ni­ty­and­the­mo­re­actively­you­move­the­bet­er.­Our­fo­od­should­be­or­ga­nic,­rich­

in vita mins and an­tioxidants,­and­this is pri ma ri ly vege tab les and fruit, ho ney and dai­ry­pro­ducts­–­live­yog­hurts­and­ke­firs­can­al­so­be­be­ne­ficial.­Na­tu­ral­“hea­lers”,­tinctu­res,­sy­rups­and­te­as­ma­de­with­me­dicinal plants, which the Turk men land is so rich in, will al so help strengt hen and en hance the im mu ne sys tem.

In na BU ROVA, NT

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