President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov chaired a sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers to consider the priority aspects of the current national policy, the progress of the programmes on national social, economic and cultural development. The high-ranking officials of the economic and fuel and energy ministries and departments attended the sitting.

Opening the sitting the Turkmen leader emphasized that the current global processes and tendencies necessitated putting the important aspects of the domestic and foreign policies on the current agenda.

Then the President gave the floor to the Vice Premiers who reported on the work done and fulfillment of the President’s instructions.

Vice Premier T. Japarov reported on the preventive measures taken to mitigate the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on the domestic economy and the country’s reserves. The results of the inspection of financial condition of the Ministry of textile Industry am Turkmengallaonumlery Association were presented.

Emphasizing that textile industry was a very promising sector of the domestic economy the Turkmen leader said that despite its profound potential the industry had not reached the necessary level of profitability. The President said that the situation could be changed only through studying the current state of world textile market, actively applying modern marketing methods and establishing the more flexible pricing system. Noting that partnership should be enhanced and domestic producers should be involved in cooperation the President gave relevant instructions to Vice Premiers H. Muhammedov.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Ministry of Agriculture could provide financial support and give credit to Turkmengallaonumeri Association. The President demanded that the high-ranking officials of the agricultural ministries and departments and the velayat khyakims should manage the work in the proper manner so that the agricultural sector could use its own profit to cover the expenses. Noting that a higher return was expected from the substantial efforts put by the Government to develop grain production, the President demanded that Vice Premier M. Akmammedov should take all necessary measures including enhancement of the high-ranking officials’ responsibility as well.

Vice Premier H. Muhammedov reported on the preparations for the international exhibition of the achievements of Turkey’s building and construction materials industries which would be held in Ashgabat next week.

Focusing on the unquestionable significance of such exhibitions for intensifying wide international cooperation and establishing the close contacts with potential partners Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov suggested organizing Turkmenistan’s building industry exhibition in one of the European countries. The President demanded that advanced technologies and equipment which should be manufactured in Turkmenistan as well as delivered from abroad should be used to organize the exposition.

Vice Premier T. Tagiev reported on the preparations for the international conference the Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in Ensuring the Sustainable Development and International Cooperation and the progress of the ongoing large-scale investment projects aimed at further developing the oil and gas infrastructure in Turkmenistan – construction of Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, preparation of the Gurrukbil-Garabil group of gas condensate deposits for putting into experimental and commercial production.

Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that hydrocarbon-rich Turkmenistan called for wide international energy cooperation aiming to facilitate the effective fulfillment of the tasks to achieve global energy security by the world community. These endeavours were proved by Turkmenistan’s initiatives to build the diversified network of transnational energy routes, enhance the international guarantees of reliable and safe transit of energy to international markets and effective measures taken to raise the production potential of Turkmenistan’s fuel and energy sector.

The Turkmen leader focused on the priority tasks to raise the rates of oil and gas production and processing, build the diversified system of transportation of Turkmen energy to international markets, implement the intergovernmental agreements and contracts, enhance the material and technical base of the national fuel and energy sector through accelerated development of new deposits in the Amu Darya River basin and other oil and gas areas.

Commenting on the report of Chairman of the State Agency for Hydrocarbon Management and Use under President of Turkmenistan Ya. Kakaev Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan’s energy policy won recognition worldwide. Ya. Kakaev reported on the participation of the Turkmen delegation in the large energy forum which had been held in Budapest, Hungary.

Vice Premier M. Akmammedov reported on the results of the working visits to the regions made on the instructions of the President to inspect the progress and quality of the ongoing agricultural campaigns.

Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the year 200 should be of crucial significance for raising the rates of agricultural production. The Turkmen leader noted that a number of the important measures should be taken to ensure success of the agricultural reform – efficiently use land resources, apply advanced technologies in agricultural industry, ensure effective management and organisation of agricultural production. The President said that the regions with the conditions conducive to growing either grain or cotton should be selected and the quantity of hectares to be sown with these priority agricultural crops should be identified.

Setting the priority tasks to the agricultural sector Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the most important included increasing the profitability of agriculture, expanding export of crop production to international markets and particularly to the neighbouring countries. The President said that substantial investments were made in the agricultural sector and it was high time to receive real return.

Focusing on the objective laws of market economy Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the efforts to increase and extend agricultural output would have a positive impact of the level of prices on the domestic consumer market. Therefore, the conditions conducive to healthy competition among the state and private sectors of the domestic economy should be created that the population, ordinary consumers would benefit from.

Focusing on the significance of Elders’ Council which would be held this March Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demanded that the necessary measures should be taken to organize in the proper manner and ensure the effective work of the nationwide forum called upon to specify the key trends in further reforms of the national agro-industrial sector.

Speaker of the Mejlis A. Nurberdieva reported on the current activity of the national Parliament in the context of the ongoing democratic reforms and the plans of work for the year 2009 to improve the national legislation.

Commenting on the report Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the significance of the tasks set to the national Parliament on the basis of its high status in the context of the ongoing democratic reforms. The President said that the work to improve the national legislation through thoroughly studying the best international legal practice and international legislation. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov called for intensifying the interparliamentary contacts especially with such authoritative structures as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly.

Vice Premier H. Saparliev reported on the work of he newly established structure – the Government Service Academy under President of Turkmenistan. Focusing on the importance of training highly qualified management personnel for successful and dynamic implementation of the ongoing reforms and changes in the country the President demanded that the high-ranking officials of all levels from cabinet ministers to etrap khyakim would attend the courses at the Academy.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the new educational establishments was to be the highest level of training highly qualified management and government officials with profound knowledge and broad outlook. Putting emphasis on the current importance of this task the President said that he would take the activity of the Academy under personal control and order to construct the building for the Academy.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that much work was to be done to improve the tender procedures and strengthen the material and technical base of building industry. Focusing on the lack of highly qualified builders especially in the regions Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that the colleges training building industry specialists should be opened throughout the country and gave relevant instructions to Vice Premiers H. Saparliev.

The President instructed Vice Premier D. Orazov to draw up the construction schedule in coordination with the other cabinet ministers. The President demanded that the high-ranking officials would inform him of any violation of commitments by the construction companies. In this regard Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reprimanded Minister of Construction Sh. Durdalyev for weakening control over the implementation of the important construction projects.

Emphasizing that the Constitution guaranteed the right to comfortable housing to every citizen of Turkmenistan the President instructed Vice Premiers D. Orazov and T. Japarov to draft the national residential construction programme.

Vice Premier N. Shagulyev reported the progress of the important transport projects including the project on construction of Russia-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway.

Commenting on the repot Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov reprimanded N. Shaguliev for mismanaging and weakening control over the work of the lower organisations. The President stressed that such an approach to the duties of the supervisor of one of the most important sectors of the domestic economy was inadmissible and demanded that the immediate measures should be taken to eliminate the shortfalls.

During the sitting the President issued the resolutions aimed at fostering national social and economic development. Other issues of the current national policy were considered during the sitting.