(Bishkek, October 13, 2023)

Dear heads of states!

Dear members of delegation!

First of all, let me express my gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich Japarov for organizing this meeting, cordiality, hospitality and excellent conditions for constructive work.

Our meeting today is a continuation of a systematic and multifaceted dialogue within the Commonwealth of Independent States on priority issues of the global and regional agenda.

I am confident that interaction between states in the Commonwealth format is an important factor in ensuring conditions for the successful promotion of cooperation on topical issues.

As is known, Turkmenistan, being an associated member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, participates in its activities in accordance with its neutral status recognized by the United Nations. Our proposals put forward within the Commonwealth are fully consistent with the initiatives of Turkmenistan declared within the Community of Nations. This primarily relates to issues of ensuring peace and security.

Recent international events clearly demonstrate that maintaining peace, strengthening security and stability will be the main priorities of world politics.

In this context, today Turkmenistan, taking into account the realities and trends of world development, proposes to begin discussing the possibilities of developing a Global Security Strategy under the auspices of the UN. We voiced this initiative during the 78th session of the General Assembly.

The strategy, as we see it, should include three important areas.

The first is the principles of preventive diplomacy as a tool for preventing and neutralizing conflicts and threats, eradicating the causes that give rise to them.

The second key component of the Strategy is the use of the potential of positive neutrality as a political and legal category, which serves as the most important factor in the peaceful resolution of disputes and contradictions through the use of the entire arsenal of diplomatic means and methods.

In this regard, I would like to note the unique international legal status of Turkmenistan as a neutral state, the positive experience it has gained in peacekeeping mediation and its commitment to non-confrontational resolution of interstate issues.

Thirdly, in the Global Security Strategy we consider it important to take into account the importance of restoring a culture of trusting dialogue as a guarantee of ensuring peace. In this regard, I would like to emphasize the role of the decisions of the UN General Assembly initiated by Turkmenistan on the proclamation.

2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust and 2023 as the Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace. Time has confirmed the relevance of these resolutions for the present moment.

We consider the development of the Strategy as an important step towards strengthening the atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation, including within the Commonwealth, as well as for resolving pressing issues of a political, economic, environmental, environmental, and humanitarian nature, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in general.

Separately, I would like to highlight the activities to further strengthen multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Group of Friends of Neutrality, created on our initiative within the UN. We proposed holding the next high-level meeting of the Group in Ashgabat in December this year, followed by the organization of an international conference in 2024.

We hope for active cooperation of the CIS member states within the framework of the above-mentioned initiative.

I also believe that the interests of our states will coincide when discussing the possibility of establishing an Institute of Neutrality and Security, which is intended to become an effective platform for conducting analytical research on neutrality and related issues. We are ready to provide all the necessary infrastructure and conditions for this in Ashgabat.

Relevant for the format of cooperation within the Commonwealth are Turkmenistan’s proposals to create a Conference/Dialogue on Security in Central Asia under the auspices of the UN.

As the goal of the Meeting, we see the development of approaches and solutions aimed at bringing together and synchronizing the efforts of the countries of Central Asia and other interested states, international organizations, financial and economic institutions in ensuring sustainable, conflict-free development of the region.

The Turkmen side invites the Commonwealth states to take part in the first meeting of the Conference in Ashgabat next year.

I consider it necessary to consolidate our further efforts to counter such serious challenges of the modern world as the terrorist threat, drug trafficking, human trafficking, the penetration of radical and extremist elements into the CIS space, on issues related to cyber threats and other challenges.

By putting forward proposals to find ways to resolve current issues, we proceed from the understanding that our initiatives are aimed at maintaining strong and long-term peace and security within the Commonwealth, and also serve as a significant contribution to promoting diplomacy of peace and harmony throughout the planet.

Dear heads of states!

We consider intensifying cooperation in the economy to be a priority area of our partnership.

As is known, in 2019 in Ashgabat, at a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS, the Declaration on Strategic Economic Cooperation of the Commonwealth Member States, developed at the initiative of Turkmenistan, was signed, which formed the basis for the later adopted CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030.

The strategy provides for close cooperation in the areas of trade, industrial cooperation, transport, energy, investment and other priority sectors.

I am confident in the relevance for the Commonwealth states of the projects initiated by the Turkmen side to diversify energy, transport and communication components in the context of the development of large-scale infrastructure corridors North-South and East-West.

In this context, we attach great importance to increasing logistics capabilities with transport links in the Caspian-Black Sea and Asia-Pacific regions, as well as with the Gulf and Middle East countries.

Dear heads of states!

An important and unifying factor of cooperation within the CIS continues to be close humanitarian interaction between the peoples of our countries.

We have accumulated solid experience in the fields of science and education, tourism and sports. An important aspect is cooperation in the field of cultural exchanges.

Today I am pleased to announce that Turkmenistan supports the initiative to declare the ancient city of Samarkand the cultural capital of the CIS in 2024. I am confident that holding cultural events within the framework of the delegated honorary status of the cultural capital will give a new impetus to the mutual enrichment of cultures of the peoples of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and will also serve to strengthen the traditional ties of friendship and good neighborliness.

In conclusion, I would like to confirm Turkmenistan’s strong commitment to further interaction within the CIS and express confidence in the great prospects for our cooperation.

Once again, I express my gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich for his effective chairmanship in 2023 of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

I wish success to the Russian Federation, which will chair the CIS next year, and to President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

I also thank the General Secretary of the CIS Sergey Nikolayevich Lebedev for the successful coordination of our work and his great contribution to the fruitful conduct of this meeting.