On 8 September 2024 the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, at the invitation of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, paid a working visit to Kazakhstan to participate in the official opening ceremony of the V World Nomad Games.
Meeting with the President of Kazakhstan
Before the opening ceremony, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Tokayev expressed gratitude to Berdimuhamedov for his personal participation in the opening ceremony of the V World Nomad Games.
The President of Kazakhstan noted that the visit of Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty to Astana is of great importance for further promotion of bilateral cooperation. According to him, Kazakh-Turkmen relations are developing very successfully today and fully correspond to the level of strategic partnership.
In turn, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude for the warm welcome and wished the successful holding of a large-scale sports event. The National leader of Turkmenistan noted the high role of Astana in organizing major international events that contribute to increasing the country’s authority on the world stage.
“Let this sports festival become a celebration of friendship and mutual understanding between peoples,” Arkadag said.
Sport in the modern world is an important factor in strengthening global peace, friendship relations and fruitful cooperation between peoples and states, the National Leader of the Turkmen people said.
He highlighted the World Nomad Games’ contribution to the preservation and revival of the cultural characteristics of nomadic tribes, creating opportunities for representatives of various countries to delve into the ancestral traditions.
Arkadag noted that on the eve of the opening of the World Nomad Games, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution on the UN Friendship Games initiated by Turkmenistan. In this regard, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov thanked the Kazakhstan side for support and co-authorship.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov discussed previously reached agreements in the trade, economic, energy, transport and logistics spheres.
The fruitful activities of the Intergovernmental Commission and the Business Council, inter-ministerial consultations and meetings held on a regular basis were noted.
Arkadag stressed that an Investment Forum in Ashgabat will bring together the delegates from many countries, including Kazakhstan.
Special attention was paid to the further strengthening of cultural and humanitarian ties, which are comprehensively developing in the spirit of friendship and good-neighborliness.
The issues of preparation for the upcoming visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan in October this year were also considered.
In this regard, it was noted that special importance is attached to the upcoming summit, during which an exchange of views on topical issues of bilateral relations will take place, opportunities for deepening fruitful interstate dialogue in various fields will be discussed and intergovernmental documents will be signed.
5th World Nomad Games
The guests of honor at the opening ceremony of the V World Nomad Games, held at the Astana Arena stadium, were President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov, Head of the Republic of Sakha Aisen Nikolaev, ex-President of Mongolia Nambaryn Enkhbayar, President of the World Confederation of Ethnosport Bilal Erdogan, heads of such international structures as UNESCO, CICA, the UN World Tourism Organization, the Organization of Turkic States, TURKSOY, the Turkic Investment Fund, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkic States, the Islamic Commonwealth of Sports, the Islamic Organization for Food Security, as well as the Special Representative of the European Union for Central Asia and other officials.
As Tokayev noted in his speech at the opening ceremony of the VIG, “The Nomad Games are a special project inspired by the creative goal of protecting the priceless heritage in order to pass it on to the younger generation.”
“We are grateful to the Kyrgyz brothers who organized these competitions for the first time 10 years ago. This is the world’s largest competition in national sports, one might say, the Nomad Olympics. These games promote nomadic civilization on a global level. Sport is a symbol of mutual respect and solidarity. The main mission of sport is to strengthen the friendship of peoples. Kazakhstan is known to everyone as a territory of peace and harmony. Various ethnic groups live in harmony and mutual understanding in our country. We have established strong ties with the countries of the near and far abroad and we want other states to also have good relations with each other. I am sure that the Nomad Games will contribute to strengthening international solidarity,” Tokayev stressed.
29 athletes represent Turkmenistan at the V World Nomad Games in Astana
Turkmenistan’s delegation to the V World Nomad Games in Astana consists of 29 athletes and 6 coaches.
The games, which began on 8 September, feature over 2,000 athletes competing in 21 sports for a total of 97 medal sets. Turkmen athletes will showcase their skills in traditional sports like wrestling and archery.
Alongside the competitions, the 5th World Nomad Games will host an international scientific and practical conference titled “Nomads: History, Knowledge, Lessons” from 9-11 September 2024.
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The same day the National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov returned to Ashgabat.
Here are some photos from the opening ceremony of the 5th World Nomad Games:
///nCa, 9 September 2024 (photo – Akorda)