To the people of independent neutral Turkmenistan

03.06.2024

Dear friends! Dear compatriots! I sincerely congratulate you on World Bicycle Day – an international holiday of health and inspiration! The significant date itself occupies a special place in the national calendar as a symbol of the triumph of the ideals of friendship and peace, sport and humanism, as well as the unity and solidarity of our society. Following the ideological message of World Bicycle Day, we solemnly celebrate this holiday together with members of the world community. The state policy of neutral Turkmenistan was laid down by the Hero Arkadag. It is comprehensive, long-term and strategic in nature. And the result of this policy is the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of a number of resolutions on the proposal of our country. These include the Resolution on the proclamation of June 3 as World Bicycle Day and the Resolution "Integrating mass cycling into the public transport system to achieve sustainable development" dated March 15, 2022. At the same time, a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS has recently been successfully completed in Ashgabat, during which it was unanimously decided to declare our capital the City of new sports opportunities of the Commonwealth. The Asian Tennis Federation recognized the Tennis Complex in the structure of the capital's Olympic campus as the "Training Center of the Asian region" and awarded the corresponding certificate. These events fully testify to the recognition by the world community of Turkmenistan's initiatives in the field of sports and human health. As for the national health system, within its framework we focus on creating a favorable environment for the healthy development of the younger generation and ensuring their proper nutrition. In addition, we are engaged in the popularization of the mass sports and recreation movement and the maintenance of environmental well-being. In short, we are making every effort to ensure that the future of our independent Homeland – young people – can combine work and leisure, play sports, including active ones, and follow the principles of a healthy lifestyle. Dear Turkmen citizens! Guided by the principle "The State is for man!" and the motto "The Motherland is the Motherland only with the people! The state is a state only with the people!", we are carrying out fundamental reforms in all areas. In particular, they affect the economy, science, education and health systems, sports and culture. Today, in the era of the Revival of a new era of a powerful state, we are doing everything necessary to improve the social and living conditions of the population, building modern villages, towns and industrial complexes and thereby consistently increasing the position of our state on the world stage. Special attention is paid to the activation of mass physical education and the Olympic movement, the development of sports, which is embodied in the successful implementation of national programs and comprehensive reforms. In a relatively short period of time, large sports and equestrian complexes, stadiums and specialized schools, an Olympic campus have been built in the country, in short, a modern sports infrastructure has been formed that meets international standards. The measures taken in this direction are conditioned by the desire to develop domestic sports and physical education based on world achievements. At the same time, they are designed to strengthen the health of the population through the adoption of the principles of a healthy lifestyle, to educate healthy young people in all respects, to stimulate high-performance sports and international partnership in this area. All this is one of the priorities of our successful humane state policy. Physical education and sports are a source of creative endeavors, health and strength necessary to achieve the set goals. In this context, cycling as an exciting sport plays an important role in promoting public health. Our country has appreciated the benefits of cycling and its positive impact on the environment. The number of those engaged in this sport is consistently growing, as today the physical and athletic activity of citizens of various age categories, especially young people, is more important than ever. In addition, for the first time in independent neutral Turkmenistan, a bicycle marathon was organized on the Mary–Tejen–Ashgabat section of the Ashgabat–Turkmenabat highway. This event, which takes place from May 31 to June 3, 2024, is of great importance, including in the development of cycling. Dear friends! Dear compatriots! Once again, I sincerely congratulate you on World Bicycle Day! May this wonderful international holiday enhance the glory of an independent neutral Homeland – the land of health and inspiration, as well as bring a unique flavor to the life of our courageous people! I wish you good health, happiness and great success in your work for the prosperity of the sovereign Motherland! President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.