CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN
At the official inauguration ceremony, held in the capital’s Ruhyet Palace, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov delivered an inaugural speech and identified tasks for a new stage of the country’s development.
Welcoming elders, members of the Cabinet of Ministers and the State Security Council of Turkmenistan, parliamentary deputies, youth, representatives of the mass media, public organizations and the diplomatic corps, who attended the ceremony, the head of state said: “At present, we are enjoying a solemn, memorable and at the same time a very important moment. From now on, a new period in the presidential government is about to commence in the history of permanently neutral Turkmenistan.
Having elected me as President of Turkmenistan for a new term in office, my people have placed great trust in me. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I would like to express hearty gratitude to my compatriots, who stood as candidates for the presidential elections.
All of them made big efforts to win the elections. During the pre-election campaign, they demonstrated high standards of culture and professionalism, having proved themselves worthy of being leaders. I am firmly convinced that the experience they gained during the pre-election campaign will be invaluable in their future work.
Independent Turkmenistan has entered a new stage of development. We define the period as a period of progressive development and wide-ranging reforms.
Realizing the people’s enormous creative potential, making the sustainable use of natural resources, relying on the solidarity, peace and unity, and taking into account the remarkable achievements, we have set new, yet more crucial tasks.
In my televised keynote address on December 25 last year, I, as a presidential candidate, presented my vision of the important tasks to be tackled on the path toward our neural independent country’s development. I clearly identified the top-priority areas of large-scale activities, based on innovative development and the latest scientific achievements. We have to work towards the targets. Strengthening the solid foundation of the united Turkmen state, enhancing its international authority and increasing considerably its economic potential are the main objective of the tasks.
For more than 21 years, our independent state has been working toward the development of international relations, given its permanent neutrality. Our country is maintaining the relations of friendship, fraternity and good neighborhood with other countries and nations. The principles fully meet our people’s national interests and our independent state’s foreign policy.
Consequently, the fundamental principles identified by our country’s neutrality, such as strengthening universal peace and security, broadening the relations of good neighborhood, friendship and fraternity, ensuring stable development will be priority trends of independent Turkmenistan’s foreign policy in the future. We will continue to expand our trade-economic, cultural-humanitarian relations, cooperation in the fields of education and science with all states and nations.
As you know, we have set a major goal - to turn our country into an advanced, industrially developed state. To put our country’s natural resources to work for the benefit of the nation, we will ensure processing of hydrocarbon resources with the use of state-of-the-art technologies and will produce high-quality products, such as gasoline, polypropylene, polyethylene and liquefied gas, which are in high demand in the world.
In terms of the fuel and energy sector, Turkmenistan will continue its close cooperation with neighboring states and other countries, with which we have established strong economic ties. The implementation of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is of particular importance. In addition to big revenues, it will deliver electricity and make homes warm for the people in neighboring countries.
Turkmenistan is rich not only in hydrocarbons. It has ore mineral of almost all metals in the periodic table. The advantageous geopolitical location, extensive road and railway networks greatly facilitate their development, mining and processing. With a glance to this, we will continue making efforts to successfully realize the country’s huge economic and natural potential for the benefit of the current and future generations.
On this basis, we will widely adopt economic mechanisms for increasing exports of competitive, high-quality goods to foreign markets. We will boost import-substituting production and will continue working towards the creation of electronic industry in accordance with the adopted programs.
We will continue working on the development of the power industry and commissioning of new power plants. The volumes of electric energy that we produce fully satisfy our domestic needs and guarantee uninterrupted export via existing routes. Our energy will also have a positive impact on the lives of the people of the neighboring states that are in need of electricity. This will ensure the progressive development of long-held humanist principles of our people.
As a way to rational use of non-conventional types of energy, such as solar and wind, we will greatly support the advancement of these areas.
Among my major objectives, I see the promotion, support and development of entrepreneurship and market relations in various branches of economy.
At present, it is impossible to match the current rapid paces of development and keep in step with the times without focusing on the development of education, science and training highly qualified professionals with excellent knowledge of advanced technology.
Following the principle “Educated generation is the might of the Motherland” we will adopt further measures for extensive development of science and education.
We will continue building modern kindergartens, schools and universities. We will train highly qualified professionals for educational institutions and equip these institutions with advanced technology. We will focus on establishing new universities and in-depth learning of foreign languages by the young generation.
We always adhere to the principle “Culture is the soul of the people” and place a great emphasis on the development of culture and arts. We will continue working in this area. Drawing upon the rich national spiritual and cultural heritage, we will ensure that our people will be glorified throughout the world as the nation of builders and nation of creators.
Abiding by the principle “People’s health is the treasure of the State”, and under the State Healthcare Program, “Saglyk”, we will provide our people with medical care in accordance with the modern requirements. We will support the successful resolution of key issues of maternal and child health. We will always attach great importance to the development of physical training and sports, increasing physical activity of our people and promoting their health.
We will continue the large-scale works to build the Health Houses, Centers for Health Protection, hospitals and wellness centers that match the growing up-to-date needs; to expand our resorts network and turn “Avaza” National Tourist Zone, created on the eco-friendly Caspian coast, into one of the most renowned recreation and wellness centers in the world.
As you know, family is the foundation of the society. We will allocate necessary funds to provide material support to families and resolve social and domestic issues. One of the key objectives is to provide proper living conditions for the people in urban and rural areas.
Therefore, one of major goals of ours is to successfully implement the National Program for Rural Development.
These goals will be translated into relentless work to provide every family with contemporary accommodation. In every settlement, we will establish small community centers and organize the work of all necessary services, crafts workshops, and vehicle maintenance facilities there. Along water collectors leading to “Altyn Asyr” Turkmen lake, we will create all necessary conditions for the people, for life, work and leisure.
The important challenge that is always ahead of us is to ensure the sustained income growth of the population. Therefore, we will bring up the per capita income level to that in the developed countries. We will remain focused on the issues of increasing salaries, pensions, scholarships and state allowances, as well as on issues of providing other social benefits to our citizens.
I would like to assure all of you, that we will prevent deterioration in the standard of living for every family, and our people will always remain under State protection.
At the same time, among our priority tasks, we will place a great emphasis on agriculture; improvement of condition of reclaimed farmlands; the state of arable lands; achievement of greater crop productivity and easing farmers’ work. We will review continuously the issues of water resources management.
One of the key targets is to provide the people of the country with food staples at affordable prices. To that end we will ensure the abundance of commodities and products at markets and stores, and will expand services.
We will place a great emphasis on the development of communications; continue working on cosmic exploration and launch of new satellites that will improve telecommunication, TV and radio networks and benefit the national economy; restoration and advancement of the Great Silk Road that connected the continents in the past. And our country must make its great contribution to this work that is of crucial importance for the mankind as a whole. As a result, we will promote the expansion of international economic and commercial relations.
Medieval Turkmen scientists made wonderful discoveries in cognition of the Universe and made large input into development of the world science. That is why we will also establish the world-class centre with observatory for research of the space.
We will steadily improve the work of political system of our society. For this purposes, during the next session of the Council of the Elders in Ahal Velayat in this year, we will discuss legislative amendments to the Resolution of the Council for increase of its role and will bring it to the review by the Mejlis.
We will consolidate the local executive administration. Further democratization of social life will be one of our main targets. We will promote increasing the effectiveness of work of local election representative bodies – Velayat, etrap and city Halk Maslahatys (People’s Council). We will increase the role of local citizens' self-governance bodies – Gengeshys, in social and political system.
We will continue to do all necessary for improvement of new political parties.
Further consolidation of social and legal protection of the people is one of our main objectives. Implementing the policy “The State for Human!”, we will apply different mechanisms of legal support of the population. The work on protection of the rights of our citizens, guaranteed by the Constitution, will be continued. For these purposes, the ombudsmen institution, summoned to monitor the observance of rights and interests by executive power bodies and government officials, would start its work.
You all are aware that Ashgabat is to host V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in autumn of this year. We will take all efforts to hold the Games on high organizational level.
We have to pay special attention to provision of prosperity of the country and peaceful life of our people. That is why in the future we will counteract decisively international terrorism, extremism, transboundary organized crime and illegal drugs trafficking. We will continue cooperating in this field with international organizations.
National Army, Air Forces and Navy, Border Guard formations are reliable guarantee of the protection of peaceful life our people.
Following military doctrine, which is exclusively of defensive character, we will steadily increase the power of our Armed Forces.
We will enhance further improvement of work of law enforcement agencies.
I am confident that together with you, my dear compatriots, we will successfully solve these targets and make one of the prosperous states of the world out of our country!
For one more time, I express my sincere gratitude to all constituents, who participated in the elections and voted for me.
I highly appreciate the great trust you rendered to me. I assure you that I will put all my power, knowledge, experience and abilities to justify this trust by the deeds I will undertake for the sake of peaceful, prosperous and happy life of the Motherland and our people.