ASHGABAT, 27 Sep-RIA Novosti. A military parade in honor of the 30th anniversary of the country's independence was held in Turkmenistan on Monday, a RIA Novosti correspondent reports,
The main event of the holiday is a military parade, which for the first time was held not in the center of Ashgabat near the presidential palace, but in the foothills of Kopetdag in the southern part of the city. A few days ago, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov inaugurated a new government podium here. At the beginning of the parade, the head of state, in a convertible surrounded by riders on Akhal-Teke horses, toured the formation of servicemen of various branches of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan.
As the correspondent of RIA Novosti reports, during the parade in Ashgabat, the Turkmen military showed a lot of new products. In particular, for the first time, the Bayraktar TB2 attack Turkish unmanned aerial vehicles were shown.
Also, for the first time, 5 A-29 Super Tisapo combat aircraft took part in the military review, which are used to support ground forces with fire at any time of the day and in various weather conditions. In addition, for the first time, the C-27J Spartan tactical military transport aircraft participated in the military parade. And, of course, the highlight of the air part of the parade was the flights of six Italian M-346 combat aircraft. On August 1 of this year, the President of Turkmenistan made a test flight on one of these machines.
In addition to the novelties, there were also military equipment traditionally demonstrated at Turkmen military parades: T-90 and T-72M tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, multiple launch rocket systems. The guests of the holiday could also watch the festive parade of ships of the Turkmen Navy on large monitors installed at the government rostrum.
After the military review, a demonstration of the country's economic achievements over 30 years of independent development took place. Collectives of enterprises of the fuel and energy complex, electric power industry, chemical industry, textile industry, construction complex and transport passed in front of the government rostrum.
During the holiday, the President of the country was presented with a three-year-old Akhal-Teke horse of light gray color, nicknamed Garashsyz (Independent), on behalf of his colleagues. The celebration of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence will continue on September 28 with horse racing at the International Akhal-Teke Equestrian Complex.
Turkmenistan gained independence in 1991. Then the Supreme Council of the Turkmen SSR, based on the results of the national referendum on independence, adopted the constitutional law "On independence and the foundations of the state structure of Turkmenistan".