Agenda Issued for Peoples Council Meeting in Turkmenistan
Topic: Turkmenistan Political
Ashgabat, 5 October 2005 (nCa) --- President Niyazov approved Tuesday the agenda for the 16th meeting of the Khalk Maslehaty (Peoples Council) of Turkmenistan that is to take place this month in Ashgabat.

Khalk Maslehaty (KM), with its 2507 members, is the supreme legislative and deliberative body of Turkmenistan. It meets annually and on special occasions to chart the future course of Turkmenistan.

Here is the text of the presidential decree:

Decree by the president of Turkmenistan on convening the 16th session of the Halk Maslahaty [People's Council]

With the aim of making a comprehensive analysis and adequate assessment of the achievements scored in domestic and foreign policy and in the spiritual revival of independent and permanently neutral Turkmenistan; assessment of the country's further economic, political and cultural development; ensuring the state's stability; discussing with public measures and targets aimed at improving our people's welfare and conducting the next session of the People's Council at a highly organized level, as well as studying our compatriots' suggestions and appeals and also in line with Article 7 of the constitutional law of Turkmenistan "On the People's Council of Turkmenistan", I decree:

1. The 16th session of the People's Council of Turkmenistan is to be convened on 24-25 October 2005 in the city of Ashgabat with the following issues on its agenda:

The constitutional law of Turkmenistan "On amendments to the constitutional law of Turkmenistan 'On Peoples' Council of Turkmenistan'";

The law of Turkmenistan "On village heads";

The law of Turkmenistan "On local councils";

The law of Turkmenistan "On district and town peoples' councils";

The law of Turkmenistan "On election to district and town peoples' councils";

The law of Turkmenistan "On regional Peoples' Councils";

The law of Turkmenistan "On election to regional Peoples' Councils";

The draft law of Turkmenistan "On election of the president of Turkmenistan";

The amendments to the code of Turkmenistan "On taxes", the laws of Turkmenistan "On protection of citizens' health", "On permission to deal with a certain forms of activities" and "On adopting the code of Turkmenistan on social security";

The resolution adopted by the Peoples' Council of Turkmenistan "On maintaining Turkmenbasy's Spirit mosque as the basis of the national spirit and on provision of permanent social support to it";

A decree by the Turkmen president "On pardoning in honour of the holy Omnipotence Night" [27th night of the Holy month of Ramadan];

A decree by the Turkmen president "On awarding the title Honorary Elder of Turkmenistan".

2. A state commission is to be set up with the aim of conducting the 16th session of the People's Council in the best possible way and collecting and analysing proposals and appeals addressed by our compatriots to the People's Council and submit them to the chairman of the People's Council.

3. The decree No 4249 adopted by the Turkmen president on 7 April 2005 is to be declared invalid.

[Signed by] The President of Turkmenistan, chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan, Saparmyrat Turkmenbasy.

Russian MTS Expects One Million Mobile Phone Users in Turkmenistan
Topic: Economy & business
Ashgabat, 5 October 2005 (nCa) --- Head of the largest Russian mobile phone operator MTS and secretary of state of the Russia-Belarus union expressed confidence Tuesday that the Turkmen mobile phone market could grow to one million users.

Vasiliy Sidorov, president of MTS that is the largest mobile phone provider in Turkmenistan also, and Paval Borodin, state secretary of the Russia-Belarus union, were on a charm offensive to win the economic cooperation of Turkmenistan.

After their meeting with President Niyazov, Borodin said, “You see, the conversation was very detailed. We talked about the range of programs, which today exist in union state Belarus-Russia. These include mobile communication, gas industry, agricultural production.”

Borodin told, “Today we also discussed the issue of development of mobile communication with MTS. We discussed it in details. Today you have few mobile telephones. Total number is 106000 for 6.5 million. We have 100 million of mobile phones for a population of 150 million.”

“I like very much the position of President [Niyazov]. We discussed this matter with participation of Ministry of communication, vice-premier, with participation of MTS president and president of Rosbank, which finances the project. The president gave clear instructions on investment and making the agreement, which he personally will sign,” explained Borodin.

“I think in the nearest 3-4 years MTS and Rosbank will increase investments in mobile communication. I think those 50000 of mobile phones will be expanded to 250000 or 350000 and then to 1 million,” he underlined.

Vasiliy Sidorov of MTS was also optimistic. He said, “We are very thankful to the President for the opportunity to talk him about our plans of investing in Turkmenistan – in the Turkmen market of mobile communication. We were given the opportunity to confirm our assurance that the market will grow at rapid pace.”

“We confirmed that we are here as long-term strategic partners,” he underlined.

Turkmenistan Gives Support to Proliferation Security Initiative?s Interdiction Principles
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
GSN, September 30, 2005. Turkmenistan yesterday welcomed and expressed support for the Proliferation Security Initiative’s Statement of Interdiction Principles released in 2003, according to a Turkmenistan Foreign Ministry statement (see GSN, Aug. 17).

Turkmenistan’s commitment to the principles reflects its “desire to cooperate in preventing the proliferation of WMD, their delivery systems and related materials,” according to the statement.

Turkmenistan is in compliance with Proliferation Security Initiative principles and expects to take place in “future activities connected with the initiative,” the statement said (Turkmenistan Foreign Ministry release, Sept. 29).

Turkmenistan Offers Oil and Gas Projects to Japanese Itochu
Topic: Economy & business
Ashgabat, 27 September 2005 (nCa) --- During a meeting Monday with the delegation of the Japanese firm Itochu, President Niyazov of Turkmenistan offered a wide range of options for mutual cooperation in the oil and gas sector.

Japanese delegation was headed by Minoru Murofushi, former head of Itochu, and current chair of Japan-Turkmenistan Council on Economic Cooperation, a voluntary body that looks after the economic interests of Japan in Turkmenistan.

Niyazov invited Itochu to participate in modernization and renovation of Seyidi refinery, a composite project that could cost more than US $ one billion.

He also asked them to consider working on the hydrocarbon deposits in the Caspian sector of Turkmenistan.

Japanese delegation showed serious interest in both the offers.

It was decided during the meeting that Turkmenistan-Japan Committee on Economic Cooperation would meet in December this year in Japan. Guichnazar Tachnazarov, deputy prime minister of Turkmenistan responsible for oil and gas sector, would lead the Turkmen delegation in the talks.

The visitor said that because of huge economic potential, flexible investment and tax policy and internal political stability, many Japanese companies in the public and private sector were keen to partner with Turkmenistan.

Niyazov said that Turkmenistan considers Itochu Corporation a long-term partner of Turkmenistan. He asked the Itochu representatives and ministry of oil and gas officials to work together to prepare the list of engineering and machinery units that Turkmenistan would purchase from Itochu in 2006.

Itochu also offered to train the female Judo team of Turkmenistan for the Beijing Olympics.

Murofushi last visited Ashgabat in August 2004.

Itochu is a traditional business partner of Turkmenistan. It has participated in rebuild of Turkmenbashy refinery, the most-modern refining facility in the entire CIS region. It is part of the consortium that provided, and is upgrading, the polypropylene plant in the Turkmenbashy refinery. Itochu also supplied the desalination plant in the same refinery.

Itochu provides heavy construction machinery, earthmoving equipment, pipe layers, dredgers, bulldozers, and other machinery items to Turkmenistan. A network of Itochu and Komatsu service centres that is slated to expand to the entire territory of Turkmenistan makes Japanese companies a preferred partner of Turkmenistan.

Itochu had 6.5% stake in the CentGas consortium, the Unocal-led gas pipeline project that was the predecessor of the present Trans-Afghan Pipeline (TAP) scheme. Several Japanese companies including Itochu have shown interest in the TAP project which is still on the drawing board.

In the CIS region, Itochu maintains offices in Azerbijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

Turkmenistan-Japan economic cooperation committee was formed in 1994.

Japanese Charge d’Affaires, Yasumasa Iijima, was also present during the meeting.

Turkmenistan Joins Interpol
Topic: Foreign Relations
Ashgabat, 21 September 2005 (nCa) --- Turkmenistan has been accepted as the newest member of Interpol. The decision was taken unanimously Monday in Berlin during the 74th session of the General Assembly of Interpol.

In a message to President Niyazov of Turkmenistan, the secretary general of Interpol, Ronald Noble says, “I would like to congratulate your country on joining Interpol, which was approved by a unanimous vote of all of its members during the first day of work of the 74th session of the General Assembly in Berlin.”

Noble expressed hope that admission of Turkmenistan into Interpol would strengthen the readiness in combating criminal offences not only within the country but also at international level.

“Let me assure you of the full support from our side and readiness for cooperation by way of establishing a national central bureau and also by offering assistance in making Turkmenistan an important and active member of the organization by linking it to the global information system of Interpol "I-24/7,” says Noble.

Nearly 600 law enforcement delegates from 154 member countries gathered in Berlin this week, making it the largest General Assembly in the organization’s history.

Interpol is the world's largest international police organization, now with 184 member countries on five continents.

Founded in 1923 to enhance international police co-operation, officers from more than 70 countries now work side by side at Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France, and in its regional bureaus around the world.

The Interpol global police communications system, I-24/7, allows police in all member countries to access crucial data or exchange messages instantly as they investigate cross-border crime or seek the arrest of international fugitives.