United Nations Under-General-Secretary and General-Director of the UN Office at Geneva Tatyana Valovaya praised achievements of Turkmenistan and role in the regional and international arenas. In her speech at the ceremonial unveiling of the Monument to the 30th Anniversary of Neutrality in Ashgabat, the politician highlighted the key successes of country in strengthening statehood, ensuring stability, and developing international cooperation.
T. Valovaya noted that over the past decades, Turkmenistan has laid a solid foundation for its statehood, ensured political stability, and achieved significant success in the economic and social spheres.
«All these achievements are the key to the further development of country. Thirty years of good-neighbourly policies to maintain peace in the region have borne fruit. Today, Turkmenistan is a reliable and authoritative partner in addressing key regional issues and strengthening international cooperation not only in Central Asia but globally», – said T. Valovaya.
In this context, the UN Deputy General-Secretary placed particular emphasis on contribution of Turkmenistan to strengthening the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The entry into force of the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty in 2009 served to strengthen regional stability and provide a necessary impetus to international cooperation in the environmental rehabilitation of areas affected by radioactive contamination.
In addition, the important role of country in strengthening cooperation in the field of ecology and climate change, including in resolving the Aral sea problem, was reflected.
The guest from Geneva cited unique experience of Turkmenistan in preventive diplomacy, within which the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia has been successfully operating in Ashgabat for 18 years, as a striking and undeniable example of successful international cooperation.
«Preventive diplomacy is one of the most effective practical tools for preventing conflicts and strengthening and maintaining peace and stability. Strategically advantageous geographical location of Turkmenistan at the crossroads of Asia and the Middle East, as well as its consistent neutrality in foreign policy, allow it to remain a unique mediator between East and West, connecting countries and peoples in the name of peace», – concluded the UN Deputy General-Secretary.
