The National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov announced the opening of a new English-language school in the city of Arkadag. The school will teach according to modern standards with the aim of preparing graduates for admission to leading US universities, including Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia University, according to the state news agency TDH.

Hero Arkadag announced the above information in an interview with ‘Al Arabiya’ TV channel. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that culture, science, education and sports remain promising areas of Turkmen-American cooperation.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people recalled the US State Department's Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) programme, which has been operating in Turkmenistan since 2001, as well as the fact that English is taught in all schools and four of the country's universities operate entirely in English.

The Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty emphasised active cultural interaction with the United States, including cooperation with the Metropolitan Museum in New York, interest in American literature, music and cinema, concerts and archaeological expeditions. Hero Arkadag expressed his readiness to expand bilateral cooperation and represent Turkmen culture in the United States in a broader format.