The presentation ceremony of the new book by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov "Magtymguly - Thinker of the World" was held on Saturday, January 4, at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

The event was attended by the heads and representatives of the country's foreign policy department, heads and employees of diplomatic missions and representative offices of international organizations accredited in Turkmenistan, faculty and students of the institute, and the media.

The presentation was attended by Rector of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Gulshat Yusupova, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan Azizbek Madmarov, Ambassador of Tajikistan Vafo Niyatbekzoda, Ambassador of India Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat, Ambassador of Uzbekistan Ravshanbek Alimov, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat John MacGregor, and figures from science and education.

The speeches emphasized the importance of the new book by the President of Turkmenistan, “Magtymguly – Thinker of the World,” which highlights the legacy of the outstanding master of words, his contribution to world literature, and events on the occasion of the poet’s anniversary.

Magtymguly’s spiritual views, his ideas of peace, justice, humanism, friendship and brotherhood, and mutual respect are reflected in the basic principles of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy and its interaction with foreign countries, Indian Ambassador Madhumita Bhagat said.

She noted that among the 160 toponyms mentioned in Magtymguly’s works, India (Hindustan) appears 30 times, where the poet, according to historical sources, spent a year and three months.

Turning to the origins of Indo-Turkmen civilizational ties, Madhumita Bhagat cited archaeological finds that revealed trade and cultural contacts between the Indus Valley and the Bronze Age settlements in southern Turkmenistan. These include the remains of a Buddha statue found in the ruins of Merv, the Turkmen Gate in Delhi.

The Ambassador said that from January 21 to February 9, 2024, scholars from the Magtymguly Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts of the Academy of Sciences visited several places in India, including the National Museum in New Delhi, the Raza Library in Rampur, the Bangiya Sahitya Parishat Literary Society and the Asiatic Society in Kolkata, where they conducted an extensive study of the rich collection of manuscripts. A collection of selected works by the Turkmen poet, translated into Hindi, was also presented. It included more than 200 poems.

The publication is presented in separate books in three languages - Turkmen, Russian and English. The book, consisting of eight sections, is addressed to a wide readership, researchers of Magtymguly's work.

ORIENT