National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced the opening of a specialized English-language school in the city of Arkadag. The school will offer modern teaching standards with a view to ensuring graduates' admission to leading American universities. He made this statement in an interview with Al Arabiya TV.

"In the recently built new, 'smart' city of Arkadag, a specialized English-language school is planned to open, where instruction will be based on modern educational methods and standards. The educational process will be focused on providing students with the opportunity to continue their education at prestigious US universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Columbia University," said Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

Answering a question about promising areas of Turkmen-American cooperation, the National Leader named culture, science, education, and sports, emphasizing that a wealth of experience has already been accumulated in all of these areas.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov recalled that the U.S. State Department's Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) program has been operating in Turkmenistan since 2001 and has supported 30 projects in the country. He also noted that English is taught in all public schools in the country, and four universities offer instruction entirely in English.

Speaking about cultural ties, the National Leader mentioned cooperation with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and expressed his willingness to expand it. He noted that Turkmenistan has a huge interest in American cinema, literature, and music; the country regularly hosts concerts by American groups, film screenings, and archaeological expeditions.

"We are ready to continue and expand this cooperation, as well as to present Turkmenistan's culture in the United States on a larger scale," Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov concluded.

Read the full text of the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan's interview with Al Arabiya TV here.