The President of Turkmenistan orders to organize international race competitions along the Great Silk Road

Today, Turkmenistan revives its significance as the key link of the Great Silk Road, which used to run across the territory of our country, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said during his visit to Automobile Sport Centre. New feature of this historical route that became the phenomenon of human civilization, is embodied not only in trade and economic relations of the states but in their cultural dialog, humanitarian contacts and sports as well. Ashgabat 2017 Games that were held in Ashgabat and gathered not only 64 teams from Asia and Oceania, refugee sportsmen but also numerous journalists, spectators and tourists from all over the world, are the bright evidence of this.

The President assigned the Minister of Interior to think over and take necessary measures for organization and conduct of international races along the Great Silk Road. Giving this assignment, the Head of the State pointed the start and the finish of the rally – from Amul to Hazar. These historical names of the city on the banks of Amudarya River or Jeyhun as it was called in the ancient times, and Caspian Sea send us back to the lines of the great Turkmen classic poet Magtumguly Fragi: “the vast from Hazar steppes to the glade of Jeyhun is fanned by the winds…”

Foreign participants of the rally will be able not only to enjoy the heritage of Turkmen people but also to see new life that comes to these legendary places together with fundamental reforms, scientific and technical progress and industrial development of the regions of the country, which consolidates its role of important transport hub on the Great Silk Road in modern times.

Having reminded that Turkmenistan has already initiated such large-scale sport event and, having deservingly realized it as one of the organizers of the project, demonstrated again its position of peace-making and creator country.

Back then, the proposal of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to hold the Silk Road 2009 rally was supported by the leaders of Russia and Kazakhstan. As the result, the project entered the bright page to the history of dynamically developing relations of three friendly states and fraternal people. By the way, Turkmen crew driving KAMAZ demonstrated very good result.

The Silk Road 2009 rally was highly appreciated far beyond organizing countries of this grandiose project as the event of international importance supporting the development of international automobile sport and consolidation of the people of the planet around indisputable universal ideals.

By the way, before the start, the Head of the State made personal drive test along future track, having given the recommendations on laying of the route and certain parts of the road. At the same time, the President of Turkmenistan made a test drive of new KAMAZs that were received by our team for the rally, which was given the status of Dakar series.

Total length of the route running across three countries – Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan was 4.5 thousand kilometres, where almost half, 2.1 thousand kilometres were in Turkmenistan and the largest part run across the steppes of Balkan Velayat and sand dunes of Karakum Desert.

New ideal of Head of the State Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov about organization of international race competition is to give big impulse to the continuation of the dialog in this sphere with involvement of numerous interested parties. The Head of the State noted special importance of such competitions in the context of the subject of the ne