ARKADAG CITY: STRENGTHENING THE TIES OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND FRIENDSHIP
On June 29, 2023, a significant, truly historic event has taken place in our country, which will be inscribed in golden letters in the glorious annals of an independent neutral Fatherland, confidently moving along the path of creation, prosperity and progress. With the participation of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, large-scale celebrations were held in honour of the opening of the new city of Arkadag, which is a visible symbol of the era of the Revival of the new epoch of a powerful state. The opening ceremony was also attended by numerous foreign guests. As we know, the implementation of this mega-project is planned for two stages. At present, the first phase of its construction has been completed, within the framework of which 336 social, cultural and other facilities have been built. The new city, located in the picturesque foothills of the Kopetdag, is an exemplary example of a «smart» city, the life of which is entirely based on advanced digital, information and communication and «green» technologies. Such an actual aspect as ecology is given special attention here. Thus, environmentally friendly materials were used in the construction of facilities. The successful solution of the tasks set in this area is evidenced by the fact that the city of Arkadag was awarded a certificate of accession to the project «Development of sustainable, green, climate-friendly cities with innovative solutions in the region of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe». During the opening ceremony, the head of state and guests visited the Ruhyyet Palace, where they took part in a solemn conference. At the forum, the Turkmen side was presented with 21 international documents confirming the achievements of the city of Arkadag in various fields. The Permanent Coordinator of the United Nations in Turkmenistan, Dmitry Shlapachenko, presents to the city of Arkadag two certificates issued by the United Nations agencies and entities. One of them is the Certificate of Appreciation of ESCAP to the Arkadag city for its partnership with The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) towards the creation of an inclusive, safe, resilient, smart, and sustainable city, and towards the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals and the implementation of the New Urban Agenda. The appearance of the new city found a harmonious combination of the best traditions of national architecture and modern trends in architecture and design. The complex infrastructure created here that meets international standards, including in the environmental sphere, provides optimal comfort and convenience for residents. By the way, eco-friendly types of public transport – electric buses and electric taxis – will run along the city highways. In this way, the city of Arkadag embodies all the newest and most progressive that is in the world of urban planning and engineering and technical thought. The example of the city of Arkadag is already gaining momentum, and there is great interest in the world to learn more about this experience, UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko said, speaking at an international investment forum held on June 30, 2023 in the new Turkmen city. In particular, he said that at the April session of the UN in Geneva, a discussion of the city of Arkadag took place and its presentation, which was presented in the UN system, was highly appreciated. He also told the forum delegates about the mission, when, under the overall leadership of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), the city of Arkadag was visited by representatives of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Development Programme. He added that the results were positive, and "we at the UN see great prospects for working with the government in this new direction for the UN country team." Speaking about the mission itself, the UN coordinator said that one of its goals was to review the urban planning, construction and management of the city of Arkadag and its impact at the national and local level on the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 11 - on inclusive, safe, secure and sustainable cities and communities. The second goal is to review the progress made and approaches in the phased construction of the city of Arkadag, including the design, materials used and the overall sustainability of the city within the framework of a people-centered smart city methodology. Third - an overview of the work of the public sector and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in creating a smart city, including recommendations for improvement in future stages of city development, as well as initiatives in the field of future urban development, including digital transformation, investments in the real sector resulting from the introduction of digital and advanced technologies. Fourth-documenting the best practices and conceptual technological solutions used in the city that contribute to the creation of a modern urban area with smart city functions. Fifth-identifying areas for future improvement of the smart city approach for Turkmenistan: from city design to construction, including critical components of urban policy, legislation, urban planning and design, and finance. All this, taking into account the lessons learned from the implementation of the Arkadag city project. And finally, the last thing is the preparation of the elements of the Roadmap in order to determine the recommendations of the technical mission. The mission acknowledged and commended the efforts made to implement the principles of open, safe, resilient and smart sustainable urban neighborhoods and communities. In accordance with our main motto “The Motherland is the Motherland only with the people! The state is a state only with the people!”, which is a continuation of the principle of the Hero-Arkadag “The state is for man!”, all this work is primarily aimed at improving the well–being of the native people and the progressive build-up of Motherland’s power. I wish our President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Honourary Elder of Turkmenistan, Haji Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov good health, long life, a happy and prosperous life, great success in their large-scale work for the prosperity of the sovereign Homeland and the people’s wellbeing.
Ayna SATGELDIYEVA,
Lecturer of the Department of World Languages
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan