The President of Turkmenistan received the Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia

24.01.2025

On January 23, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, President of the World Aquatics Organization Hussein Al-Musallam. Expressing sincere gratitude to the Head of state for the time devoted to the meeting, the guest noted that the Olympic Council of Asia highly appreciates Turkmenistan's efforts to develop sports. Hussein Al-Musallam also expressed gratitude to the President of the country for his support in the development of the Olympic movement and the training of international athletes. Welcoming the Director General of the Olympic Council of Asia, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed confidence that his current visit would give an impetus to the further development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Council. As noted during the meeting, the development of physical culture and sports, as well as broad international cooperation in this field, are among the priorities of our country's state policy. Adhering to the high humanistic principles of the Olympic movement, Turkmenistan stands for the expansion of regional and international partnership in the field of sports and is taking concrete measures to this end. In this area, our country cooperates with the International Olympic Committee, the Olympic Council of Asia, specialized federations and other reputable international organizations, which is a clear confirmation of Turkmenistan's broad support for sports diplomacy. Examples of cooperation include the successful holding of the V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in our country, the Amul–Khazar 2018 international rally along the route of the ancient Great Silk Road, as well as the World Weightlifting Championships. At the same time, the importance of the Resolution adopted in 2018 by the United Nations General Assembly on the initiative of Turkmenistan declaring June 3 every year as "World Bicycle Day" was emphasized. As noted, thanks to the international competitions regularly held in our country, the cultural and spiritual values of the Turkmen people, distinctive national traditions and customs, economic achievements, achievements in science, education, and art are widely popularized in the world. The interlocutors also discussed the development of water sports in Turkmenistan, which are widespread throughout the world and contribute to the education of physically strong and healthy young people. At the end of the meeting, Head of State Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude to the Director General of the OCA, President of the World Aquatics Organization Hussein Al-Musallam for his great personal contribution to the development of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Olympic Council of Asia, as well as for the constant support of our country's initiatives in this direction, wishing the guest good health and success in his work.