As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, yesterday Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov paid a working visit to Balkan province. During the visit, he got acquainted with living conditions of people of the eastern province of Turkmenistan and traveled to one of the province's remotest places, Esenguly district.

The village of Esenguly, situated on the Caspian coast, is the administrative center of the district which remains underdeveloped due to its remoteness from the developed centers and transport communications. Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov set out the main directions of further social-economic development of Esenguly.

First of all, the discussion focused on the oil and gas industry. A lot of investments will be made to boost the development of hydrocarbon resources in the district territory and increase geological prospecting works in accordance with the "Programme of development of the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan until 2030".

Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov said that a water distillery with the capacity of 3000 cubic meters of water per day would be built in the district. The facility designed to improve the supply of drinking water to the population will be commissioned in February 2008.

The state fisheries committee of Turkmenistan will set up a fishery farm in the district. The committee will announce a tender for the purchase of 20 light caters fitted with modern field equipment. It will also call for bids for construction of an industrial fish production plant, workshops for fish canning and a laboratory.

The state joint-stock corporation Turkmenhaly will construct a new carpet factory for 300 people in the district. It should be commissioned in the autumn of 2008.

A new administrative building of the district communication department for 8096 subscribers will be built in Esenguly. There will be also built a 300-km fiber-optical line, Balkanabata-Gumdag-Esenguly.

Besides, a school for 500 pupils, a kindergarten for 140 children, a gymnasium with a playing ground, a recreation facility for 350 people, a hospital for 70 patients with a maternity department and a health center will be built in the village of Esenguly in the coming two years. The villages of Chekishler and Garadegish will have new schools for 240 pupils. A modern trade center, a new building for district administration and 3 apartment houses for state employees will be build in the administrative center of Esenguly district. Motor transport vehicles, including 100 MAZ lorries and 30 water transportation cars will be purchased for district needs.

The head of state also said that a frontier post will be set up in the district within the framework of the state policy aimed at the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and the smuggling of goods.
District residents arranged for the laying of the first recreation park in the district during the president's visit. Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, government officials and other guests planted first trees of the park to be created there.