Topical issues of state life were discussed at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov via videoconference, the state news Agency of Turkmenistan reports.

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers G. Mushshikov, who was the first to speak via video link, reported on the state of Affairs in the subordinate system, measures taken to monitor the implementation of planned tasks by institutions in the leading sectors of the economy for the current year.

As reported, work is currently underway to update the legal framework governing the activities of supervised structures.

In accordance with the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan dated June 27, 2019, the Agency for protection against economic risks under the Ministry of Finance and economy is defined as the state authorized body for the protection of aquatic bio resources.

In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister reported to the head of state on steps to improve activities in this direction, including the preparation of a draft of a new version of the Regulations on fishing in the territorial waters and inland waters of Turkmenistan and on the protection of aquatic bio resources.

Summarizing the report, the President stressed that the state attaches great importance to preserving the country's unique nature, including the Caspian Sea. In recent years, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, a number of agreements have been signed between five coastal countries. These include the framework Convention for the protection of the marine environment of the Caspian Sea (Tehran Convention), Protocol on conservation of biological diversity of the Caspian Sea (Ashgabat Protocol), Agreement on preservation and rational use of water biological resources of the Caspian Sea.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, emphasizing the importance of the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea adopted in Aktau following the V Caspian summit on August 12, 2018, noted with satisfaction that this created conditions for bringing the five-party cooperation to a qualitatively new level, opened up wide opportunities for the development of close cooperation in various areas.

The successful implementation of current tasks in the field of environmental safety and protection, preserving the biodiversity of a unique natural reservoir-the Caspian Sea, and prudent use of its riches requires bringing regulations in this area in line with the realities of the time, the head of state said.

Stressing the importance of the work being carried out in this direction, the President ordered to coordinate the draft of a new version of the Regulation on fishing in the territorial waters and inland waters of Turkmenistan and the protection of aquatic bio resources with the relevant structures.

In continuation, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the current activities of institutions of the financial and economic block. Noting that it is currently implementing several long-term programs aimed at further progressive development of the state and the welfare of the people, including the program for the industrialization of the country until 2030, the head of state instructed Vice Premier to keep under strict control clear and timely implementation.

Then Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers M. Meredov reported on the state of Affairs in the structural divisions of the fuel and energy complex and the measures taken to strengthen the production potential of the industry, ensure stable growth of technical and economic indicators.

Summing up the report, the head of state stressed that the energy sector has a significant role to play in ensuring sustainable growth of the national economy, accelerated socio-economic development of the regions, improving the quality of life of the population and strengthening the country's foreign economic positions.

It was noted that the commissioning of new oil and gas processing complexes, chemical plants, power plants, as well as numerous social facilities led to an increase in domestic demand for energy. At the same time, priority should be given to fulfilling obligations under international export contracts for energy supplies.

In this context, the head of state ordered to step up work on the modernization of the main production and infrastructure facilities of the oil and gas industry, the introduction of modern technologies in all sectors, which is designed to promote their further progressive development on an innovative basis.

In turn, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers E. Orazgeldiev reported on the progress of seasonal work in the velayats of the country. It was reported that grain growers are taking care of winter wheat. There is also active preparation for the upcoming grain harvest, at the final stage of sowing cotton.

The head of state submitted a draft Resolution on the production of 224 thousand tons of sugar beet this year. In total, it is planned to plant 17 thousand 900 hectares of land. In the Balkan velayat from 3 thousand hectares it is planned to get 24 thousand tons, and in the Mary velayat from 14 thousand 900 hectares-200 thousand tons of this crop.

After hearing the report, the President stressed that providing the country's population with various agricultural products of its own production is one of the key tasks.

The head of state addressed a number of instructions to the Deputy Prime Minister on strict compliance with the standards of agricultural technology in the care of wheat, high-quality and timely sowing of cotton, as well as proper preparation for the grain harvest. Separate instructions were given on the rational use of water resources and efficient operation of equipment.

After signing the Decree "On the production of sugar beet in Turkmenistan in 2020", President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov sent it to the Deputy Prime Minister on the electronic document management system.

Then the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Sh. Durdylyev, who presented a report on the release of new products at the cement plants of the Ministry of industry and construction production. 

As noted, in order to solve the problems of increasing the production of basic types of building materials and expanding the range of products, the Ministry of industry and construction production, together with The Institute of chemistry of the Academy of Sciences, has taken steps to use active mineral additives in the production of cement.

Thus, Portland cement of the 400-G20-K brand is already being produced. In addition, work is continuing to establish the production of 500-G20-K cement. The active mineral additive required for this purpose is basalt porphyrites. They are extracted from rocks at the “Ufra” deposit, which is on the balance sheet of the Balkan ore management. Due to their physical and chemical properties, these minerals greatly improve the quality of cement. The production of the above-mentioned products will increase the output of high-quality cement by up to 20 percent.

After hearing the report, the head of state stressed the need to intensify work on the production of import-substituting products. To do this, the country has all the possibilities – first of all, the wealth of mineral resources that can be used for the production of high-demand construction materials.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the initiatives put forward by Turkmenistan on the formation of transport, logistics and transit corridors are highly supported and recognized by the world community, and stressed the crucial importance of road bridges put into operation in the country along transcontinental routes. At the same time, there were complaints about the work of the Deputy Prime Minister for mistakes made in the proper operation of bridges and regular repairs.

It was emphasized that the measures taken to improve the road transport sector directly contribute to the promotion of Turkmenistan's initiative to create a global partnership on sustainable transport. In this regard, the head of state demanded that the Deputy Prime Minister ensure personal control over the proper maintenance and timely repair of bridges that meet international standards, which are being built in the country's velayats to increase traffic flow and form a modern transit and transport system.

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers B. Ovezov reported on the work on making additions and amendments to the relevant Decree Of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on streamlining the activities of state bodies at the customs border of the country and determining the uniform amount of fees and payments charged to owners of foreign vehicles.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that in order to implement a coordinated transport policy, it is necessary to synchronize legislation and tariffs, gradually simplifying customs, visa and other procedures. These measures will have a significant impact on improving the efficiency of transport and transit corridors, increasing cargo flows and foreign trade volumes.

It was reported that the agencies that are part of the transport and communication complex have carried out a corresponding analysis of work in this direction. It was determined that most of the transit cargo transportation by road is carried out from neighboring States. In this regard, the possibilities of further expansion of the country's transit potential are being considered.

As part of the report, the Deputy Prime Minister also reported on the use of resources of the national artificial earth satellite.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed that the key tasks for the foreseeable future include consistent integration into the world transport system and further expansion of infrastructure along the main highways, connecting routes and hubs in the East-West and North-South directions.

Noting the relevance of projects in the transport sector, including the creation of a Modal highway for Central Asia with access to Turkey, the construction and activation of transport corridors Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey and Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA), the President stressed that the formation of these important areas plays a significant role in the revival of the Great silk road.

Special attention should be paid to the construction of railway bridges, the head of state stated, stressing the need for a thorough study of the world experience in bridge construction. In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister was given specific instructions to ensure strict control over the effective operation and proper maintenance of railway bridges.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also pointed out the importance of consistently implementing major strategic projects to realize the impressive transit, transport and logistics potential of Turkmenistan, instructing the Vice-Premier to make every effort to successfully implement the plans.

The head of state further noted that today, thanks to the full functioning of the national satellite communication system, the possibilities for holding video conferences or teleconferences are being used to the maximum. This type of communication, widely used in the world, significantly speeds up the workflow, increases the efficiency of time and resources, noting that this technology is actively used in the fields of education and health.

It was emphasized that modern satellite communications infrastructure and new technologies will contribute to the development and improvement of space-related research activities in Turkmenistan and serve to further increase the country's international prestige.

Noting the great importance of launching a second artificial satellite into orbit, the Turkmen leader instructed the Deputy Prime Minister to study this issue in detail and take appropriate steps.

Deputy Chairman Of The Cabinet Of Ministers Ch. Gylyjov reported to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on the activities of supervised structures and the implementation of measures for state support of small and medium-sized businesses, the expansion of import-substituting and export-oriented industries.

In particular, a report was presented on the ongoing work to provide first-graders of secondary schools of the country with computers by the new academic year, which, according to tradition, will be awarded on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan.

The production of the necessary number of computers will be provided by the enterprise "Agzybirlik tilsimaty" of the computer technology Center of the Ministry of trade and foreign economic relations of Turkmenistan.

The President of Turkmenistan simultaneously called the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers P. Agamyradov and the Chairman of the Central Bank M. Annadurdiev, who Ch. Gylyjov also introduced a variety of training computers and talked about their main characteristics.

Summing up the report, the head of state noted the increasing role of entrepreneurship in the field of import substitution and increasing the country's export potential, the development of competitive industry, emphasizing the importance of supporting projects implemented in the field of digitalization and saturation of the domestic market with high-quality electronic products.

Instructing the relevant managers to ensure strict control over the production of computer equipment for first – graders in accordance with modern requirements for its software, educational functionality and safety parameters for children's health, the President stressed that the main goal of this work is to create conditions for improving the efficiency of the national education system.

In addition, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov instructed Deputy Prime Minister Ch. Gylyjov to work out the issue of establishing production at the Agzybirlik tilsimaty enterprise of other types of computers, including stationary, laptops and tablets.

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers B. Abdiyeva reported on the ongoing preparations for the international photo exhibition and conference "Turkmenistan – the homeland of Neutrality" to be held in Ashgabat on May 13.

The exhibition will feature works by domestic and foreign photographers and correspondents dedicated to the friendship of peoples, as well as the topic of neutrality of Turkmenistan. To date, applications for participation in the review have been received from many States. Foreign exhibitors will be given the opportunity to speak via video link at the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

After hearing the report, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed the great importance of international humanitarian actions that enrich Turkmenistan's relations with the world's States with new content, promote the strengthening of friendship ties and the development of multifaceted cooperation with the world community, widely popularize the spiritual heritage of the Turkmen people, and enrich cultures.

In this context, the head of state ordered to ensure a high organizational level of the organization of the International photo exhibition and conference "Turkmenistan-the homeland of Neutrality", using the capabilities of modern video communication, and create all conditions for successful creative interaction of their participants.

Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers P. Agamyradov reported on the ongoing preparations for the summer vacation season for schoolchildren.

As reported, specialists of the Ministry of education have developed a plan for organizing summer recreation for secondary school students. All children's health centers are actively preparing for the reception of schoolchildren: sports and playgrounds places of mass recreation are put in proper order, etc.

Special attention is paid to sanitary and preventive work. The Ministry of education, the Ministry of health and medical industry, the khakimliks of the capital and the velayats will keep under strict control the issues of hygiene and compliance with the necessary requirements for disinfection.

Currently, work has begun on organizing step-by-step training courses for teachers and students (counselors). The Ministry of education is developing a comprehensive plan of cultural, sports and recreational activities that takes into account the age characteristics and interests of students. All the steps taken are designed not only to provide an interesting and fun holiday for children, but also to promote the disclosure of their talent and abilities.

In order to actively attract the younger generation to a healthy lifestyle, physical education and sports in the capital and velayats, sports grounds are being prepared in schools and residential areas.

Emphasizing the importance of creating all conditions for the successful implementation of children's summer holidays, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov ordered to combine the efforts of relevant structures to turn the upcoming school holiday season into one of the unforgettable moments in the life of children, their fun, interesting and useful pastime.

Reporting on the work carried out by the Ministry of foreign Affairs, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, foreign Minister R. Meredov reported on the measures taken to expand cooperation between our country and the world trade organization (WTO).

In this regard, the importance of the Program for the development of foreign economic activity of Turkmenistan for 2020-2025, approved by the Decree of the head of state in December last year, was noted. According to the document, one of the key tasks is to activate partnership with international and interregional organizations, including the WTO.

The world trade organization is the only global organization that coordinates trade relations between countries of the world, draws up relevant international norms and implements them. Currently, 164 States are members of the WTO. In addition, 24 countries have observer status in this organization.

In order to study issues related to bringing cooperation with the world trade organization to a qualitatively new level, the relevant Government Commission was established By the decree of the head of state dated July 15, 2019.

As a result of its meetings and consultations with representatives of the WTO and international experts, it was determined that participation of our country in the activities of this organization in the observer status as a first step will open up broad prospects for further modernization of the national economy.

In particular, this will provide an opportunity for Turkmenistan to participate in official events, major meetings and forums of the WTO, to intensify bilateral contacts at the level of specialized specialists and through the exchange of delegations, as well as to put forward national initiatives for the development of regional and international trade within this authoritative organization, etc. However, a new impetus will be given to partnerships with major international organizations such as the European Union, UNECE, ESCAP, the world Bank and the Asian development Bank.

Based on the above, based on the legislation of Turkmenistan and international experience, it is proposed to conduct appropriate work for our country to obtain observer status in the WTO.

Focusing on the prospects of Turkmenistan's accession to the world trade organization, the head of state noted that in the development of international relations, the trade sector has a significant impact on the entire economic system, stimulating production industries to produce a variety of high-quality, competitive products.

As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed, in modern conditions, the consistent integration of Turkmenistan into the world trade and economic system is an important factor in the development of market relations, increasing and diversifying the country's export potential, and increasing its investment attractiveness.

Thus, the steps taken to bring interaction with the WTO to a new level and obtain observer status in this organization will give Turkmenistan the opportunity not only to actively participate in global processes, but also to successfully implement its competitive advantages.

This will help strengthen the country's position and authority in the international arena, expand the range of mutually beneficial cooperation with foreign partners, the President said, instructing the Deputy Prime Minister and the head of the foreign Ministry to continue working in this direction.

Within the framework of the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the digital video communication system, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov again addressed all the participants, focusing on the priority tasks of socio-economic development of the country.

Noting that our country offers new approaches to solving environmental problems in the Caspian sea in close cooperation with its neighbors and partners, as well as with authoritative international structures, the head of state gave specific instructions on ensuring control over the practical implementation of interstate agreements.

It was noted that there is a need for careful preparation for the Week of culture and the competition "Türkmeniň Altyn asyry", which is annually announced among literary, cultural and artistic figures, young performers and gifted children.

Noting that the oil and gas sector remains the engine of the national economy, the President focused on the need to modernize the material and technical base of the industry, including through cooperation with foreign partners.

The relevant managers were given instructions to improve the scientific selection and breeding work aimed at preserving the purity of the breed and breeding new lines of Akhal-Teke horses and alabays, which have become a kind of symbols of Turkmenistan.

Maintaining a high level of GDP and implementing the concept of digital economy development were among the priorities of today. In this regard, the need to continue systematic work on digitalization, the introduction of modern technologies and scientific developments in production, which contributes to the growth of the national economy, was emphasized.

The meeting also considered other important issues of state life, on which appropriate decisions were made.