Ashgabat, January 10 | ORIENT. National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty (People's Council), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, paid a working visit to the city of Arkadag. The visit focused on one of the key projects in the second phase of construction—the creation of a powerful medical industrial cluster, which promises to be unique in Central Asia.

The cluster's ecosystem provides for the full integration of the production chain. Its resource base includes an oil refinery in Turkmenbashi and a polymer plant in Kiyanly, which will provide enterprises with high-quality and environmentally friendly raw materials (polypropylene, polyethylene).

Even at the initial stage, the cluster received international quality and environmental certifications, paving the way for its products to enter global markets. Its product assortment covers a wide range: from consumables (bandages, gowns) to complex pharmaceutical solutions, medicines, and more.

Along with the heads of the Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery, the Kiyanly Polymer Plant, the Ministry of Healthcare and the Medical Industry, and the Garagum Economic Society, which is participating in the cluster's construction, top managers from leading global corporations—Sumitomo, EM Korea, Korea Meditech—and the heads of Turkmenistan's embassies in Japan and the Republic of Korea also participated in today's working meeting.

Companies from the Land of the Rising Sun are overseeing the equipping of the plants with facilities being introduced in the region for the first time, while their Korean partners are focusing on technological flexibility and the implementation of modern medical standards.

Special attention was paid to the ISO certificates of conformity for the Arkadag medical cluster during the working meeting.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that in the future, domestically produced natural raw materials that meet environmental requirements must be used at all stages—from medical device production to consumption. Secondly, the products obtained from these raw materials must be of high quality. Thirdly, the domestic market must be fully supplied, with any surplus exported.

Arkadag today is a testing ground for Turkmenistan's new economic model.

The formula "local raw materials + advanced technologies = export-oriented product" is being tested here. A year since the start of construction of the medical cluster has shown that Smart City is successfully transforming into a manufacturing city.

Furthermore, Arkadag's urban concept will be complemented by a new educational component. The head of the Khalk Maslakhaty approved a project to transform one of the city's schools into a specialized language educational institution with the aim of preparing graduates for admission to leading universities for undergraduate and graduate programs. This will create a talent pool for high-tech enterprises in Arkadag itself.