Turkmenistan to participate in CIS as associated member
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
27.08.2005. The CIS summit held Friday in the capital of Tatarstan, Kazan, unanimously adopted a resolution on the basic principles of participation of neutral Turkmenistan in the CIS.

As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru was told in the press service of the republic’s Foreign Ministry, Turkmen leader Saparmurat Niyazov sent a message to the summit participants in which he “made a request to support his position on participation in the CIS as an associated member taking into account Turkmenistan's neutral status.”

According to the Foreign Ministry, the Turkmen president's proposal had been given preliminary support by the participants of a session of the Council of CIS foreign ministries and was then submitted for consideration at the summit of the CIS member states. The initiative of Saparmurat Niyazov on Turkmenistan's new status was wholly supported by all leaders of the CIS member states, the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

President Saparmurat Niyazov on behalf of the Turkmen people and the Turkmen government expressed his sincere gratitude to chairman of the CIS, President Putin of the Russian Federation as well as to other leaders of the CIS member states for their understanding and support.

Turkmenistan.Ru

Ruhnama Launched into Outer Space
Topic: Ruhnama
Book Written by President of Turkmenistan Reaches Outer Space

Ashgabat, 26 August 2005 (nCa) --- Ruhnama, a moral and spiritual code penned by President Niyazov of Turkmenistan, has been launched into outer space.

Russian conversion rocket carrier Dnepr released Thursday a capsule containing the flag and standard of Turkmenistan and Ruhnama in the near-earth orbit.

Russia and Turkmenistan started cooperating in space projects in November 2002. A protocol between the ministry of defence of Turkmenistan and Russian space and aviation agency specifies terms for interaction in peaceful development of space.

The protocol was incorporated into the treaty of friendship and cooperation signed between two countries on 23 April 2003.

In June 2003, agreement for joint space activities was signed. Russia has recently offered to expand space cooperation with Turkmenistan.

Dnepr, launched on 24 August from Baikonur cosmodrome, also carried two Japanese experimental satellites - Oicets and Index - to the outer space. The satellites would orbit at a height of about 610 kilometers.

The Japanese side took over control of the satellites after their separation from the rocket.

Russia is using Baikonur under a long-term lease.

This is the fifth launch of the rocket carrier programme Dneprthat is based on ICBM SS-18 and RS-20 design.

The Dnepr booster has a launch weight of 211 tonnes and is highly reliable inexpensive launch vehicle with the payload of up to 3.5 tonnes. Dnepr can be used for launches to high-elliptical orbits and departure trajectories to the Moon of spaceships equipped with upper-stage rockets.

The space project is carried out under the aegis of the International space company “Kosmotras”.

In July 2004 Dnepr released a capsule into space, carrying the flag and the presidential standard of Turkmensitan. It was reported that the Dnepr shell was painted with an image of the Turkmen flag.

So far, the Dnepr programme has launched 22 satellites into space. These objects belong to clients from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, UK and USA.

For the next two years, the ISC Kosmotras’ plan is to perform six more launches of the Dnepr LV that will deliver into orbit 53 satellites of various countries, the mass of the payloads ranging from 1 to 1,350 kg.

Green Light for Children's Health Centre near Ashgabat
Topic: Health, Education, Social
Turkish Polimeks Gets US $ 11.7 Mln Contract in Turkmenistan

Ashgabat, 23 August 2005 (nCa) --- President Niyazov signed Monday a resolution, authorizing the Central Bank of Turkmenistan to sign a contract with the Turkish company Polimeks for construction of a children’s health and recreation centre.

The health centre would be built in Gokdere settlement near Ashgabat.

With capacity to accommodate 365 children simultaneously, the centre would cost US $ 11.799 million including taxes.

Construction work should start in September 2005 and the centre should be ready by October 2006.

New Rules Expected for Election of MPs, President in Turkmenistan
Topic: Turkmenistan Political
Turkmenistan Revising Rules for Election of MPs, President

Ashgabat, 23 August 2005 (nCa) --- It was clear Monday that Turkmenistan is rewriting rules for election of president and members of the parliament.

During a meeting of the cabinet of ministers, President Niyazov asked Ovezgeldy Atayev, chairmen of Turkmen parliament, to chalk out new rules for the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Parliament would debate the rules and the final draft would come for voting during the next session of Khalk Maslehaty, the highest legislative and deliberative body of Turkmenistan.

The forthcoming session of Khalk Maslehaty would be held in October 2005 in Ashgabat.

Turkmenistan Introduces Structural Changes in Oil and Gas Sector
Topic: Economy & business
Ashgabat, 23 August 2005 (nCa) --- President Niyazov introduced Monday a number of organizational changes to streamline the oil and gas sector of Turkmenistan.

The law of Turkmenistan “About Hydrocarbon Resources” has been amended to give direct contractual powers to the ministry of oil and gas industry and mineral resources of Turkmenistan. The words “competent authority” have been replaced by “ministry of oil and gas industry and mineral resources of Turkmenistan” in the entire text of the law.

Ministry of oil and gas would now exercise direct supervision over the three main wings of oil and gas complex.

“Minister of oil and gas should have three deputies – head of Turkmenneftgaz corporation, head of state concern Turkmenneft and head of the state concern Turkmengaz,” said President Niyazov during a meeting of cabinet of ministers Monday.

“Every month you should report on the progress on foreign agreements and you must also report monthly the production of oil and gas,” said Niyazov.

It appears that Turkmengeologia would be merged with the exploration department.

Niyazov tasked the heads of oil and gas complex to create a common council on oil and gas exploration. He also demanded better exploration activity.

“You have to discover new oil and gas fields; more new deposits than we already have,” he said.

Speaking of the need for transparency, Niyazov said that suuitable organizational and administrative conditions should be created to avoid any abuse, including in the sphere of interstate cooperation.