Serdar Berdimuhamedov Congratulated Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko on His Birthday
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov sent his sincere congratulations and best wishes to Oleg Kononenko, commander of the cosmonaut corps, head of the Yury Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, and Hero of Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation, on his birthday on June 21.
In his message, the head of state expressed his heartfelt wishes for good health, happiness, family well-being, and a long life to his illustrious fellow countryman. The president also wished Oleg Kononenko continued success in his ambitious and responsible endeavors in space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.
For Turkmenistan, the outstanding achievements of Turkmenabat native Oleg Kononenko, who holds the world record for the longest total time spent in space, are a source of particular national pride. The cosmonaut's connection to his homeland remains unbreakable: during his expeditions to the International Space Station, he repeatedly demonstrated his deep respect for his roots by taking national symbols and state insignia of Turkmenistan into orbit, consistently underscoring the strategic and friendly nature of relations between Ashgabat and Moscow in the humanitarian, scientific, and technical spheres.
Kononenko is currently preparing for his sixth flight as part of the ISS-77 expedition. His expertise and record-breaking length of service on the ISS are in demand for the design and construction of a promising manned spacecraft and the future Russian orbital station.
