Heads of state and delegations from the Commonwealth of Independent States visited the National Food and Culture Festival on Oct. 8 in the Avaza National Tourism Zone in Turkmenistan.
Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended the event, according to press services of the countries.
As part of the festival, national pavilions were set up where guests were introduced to national dishes and traditional methods of their preparation, handicrafts, national costumes and musical performances.
At the Turkmenistan pavilion, local melons and other gourds, baked goods and Turkmen carpets were presented. Guests also watched the literary and musical performance “Oguzlar.”
Traditional dishes and handicrafts were presented at the national pavilions of other countries. In particular, the Uzbekistan pavilion featured various types of baked goods, samsa, Khorezm cuisine and Uzbek plov, while artisans from different regions of the country presented traditional handicrafts. At the Azerbaijan pavilion, guests were introduced to national cuisine and tea culture, as well as traditional forms of decorative and applied arts. The heads of delegations also observed the preparation of national dishes of the CIS member states.
During the festival, a ceremony was held in the presence of the leaders to honor the winners of the Interstate Television Film Competition of the CIS member states, “The Flight of the Racehorse: Strength and Grace.”
An official reception was hosted in honor of the heads of delegations on behalf of Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, followed by a concert program.
