The international scientific conference titled "Mollanepes and the Oriental Poetry" opened in Ashgabat on 13 January. It was organized by the National Miras (Heritage) centre and the cultural centre of the Iranian Embassy.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov sent a greeting message to the conference participants. "The great poet''s melodious and pithy verses win hearts of readers. They sound on a high note of unlimited love of homeland, God, man, nature and life," the message says.

The president expressed confidence that the conference would be a worthy contribution to celebration of the 200th anniversary of the great Turkmen poet in 2010. The conference is expected to demonstrate his role in forming the spiritual-cultural values of humankind.

Mollanepes, Turkmen poet and musician, lived in the 19th century and is famous for tens of lyrical verses, many of which were set to music, as well as the popular epos "Zohre and Tahir".