Today, the Mejlis hosted the first meeting of heads of parliaments of member countries of the Group of Friends of Neutrality “The role of parliamentary cooperation in strengthening peace and dialogue” in a hybrid format.

In the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State, Turkmenistan under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov confidently pursues its chosen creative foreign policy strategy, firm principles of which include positive neutrality, peaceful disposition, good neighbourhood and equal constructive cooperation. And it is deeply symbolical that at the initiative of our country according to the Resolution of General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, 2023 was declared as "International year for dialogue as a guarantee of peace”.

It is known that this proposal was made during the International Conference “Peace and Trust Policy – Basis of International Security, Stability and Development” held in Ashgabat in December, 2021 and was unanimously supported by all its participants. The final document of the Conference was distributed as the document of 76^th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.

And this is by no means accidental, after all, positioned as a new philosophy of the international relations, it is directly linked to the initiative of the Secretary General of the United Nations on development of a new peace building agenda, which includes reduction of global strategic risks, investment in prevention of conflicts and peacebuilding as well as support of regional preventive measures.

Consistently realising its foreign policy based on principles of positive neutrality, Turkmenistan attaches a great significance to development of relations at the inter-parliamentary level, being an important factor of strengthening friendship between states and peoples, fruitful regional and international partnership, which responds to interests of general well-being.

In the given context, it is necessary to note an exceptional significance of constructive proposals made by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the 78^th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization. Among them - maintenance of peace and security on the planet, achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, expansion of international cooperation in such areas as energy, transport, ecology and climate change and humanitarian sphere.

In the light of modern realities, a significant role of Turkmen neutrality and importance of its potential again obtains its acknowledgment. One of the clear examples for it - activity of the Group of Friends of Neutrality for peace, security and sustainable development, membership of which today includes more than 20 states. In their number - countries-co-authors of Resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization “Permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan” of 1995 and 2015, “International Day of Neutrality” of 2017 and "The Role and Importance of а Policy of Neutrality in Maintaining and Strengthening International Peace, Security and Sustainable Development" of 2020.

Organization of meetings regularly on the margins of this multilateral dialogue is called to promote development of steady political-diplomatic mechanism for advancement of principles of neutrality in the international relations, strengthening of fruitful cooperation in interests of general well-being.

So, on December 11, 2023, the Turkmen capital hosted the high level meeting of the Group of Friends of Neutrality for peace, security and sustainable development in a hybrid format, in which the role of our country in expansion of constructive international dialogue and effective utilisation of tools of consolidation of peace and security on the planet was highly appreciated.

The present multilateral meeting of members of parliaments with participation of speakers of parliaments from various countries of the world as well as heads and representatives of international and regional organisations are also called to serve these goals.

As was marked, the parliamentary diplomacy of Turkmenistan is successfully carried out according to the legal status of neutrality and realised by adjustment of bilateral and multilateral relations with parliaments of foreign countries, and participation in the work of international parliamentary organisations and assemblies, creations of inter-parliamentary groups of friendship and organisation of joint actions. It is an important tool in support of international initiatives of our neutral state.

On the sidelines of promotion of the new philosophy of the international relations, final documents of international forums held in our capital, were adopted as documents of corresponding sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization. In them, it is especially underlined that the peace dialogue of neutral policy takes a special place in development of trust-based, mutually beneficial relations between world states and promotes strengthening of security at regional and global levels.

Importance of an active role of heads of parliaments participating in the present meeting in advancement of these initiatives on the international platform was in this connection underlined.

Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Kaha Imnadze and Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko also pointed out that Turkmenistan more and more actively promotes the global agenda, development and cooperation at global and regional levels, proposes constructive solutions to a variety of the most complicated global and regional issues of the present.

Having drawn the attention to topicality and importance of today's meeting, they expressed gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people for undertaken efforts and contribution to achievement of peace-making initiatives, having noted that mobilisation of the international community with a view of maintenance of peace and trust is an objective requirement of time and a key to prosperity and progress.

Then, during the meeting, video messages of the Secretary General of Inter-Parliamentary Union as well as heads of foreign parliaments were watched.

As was underlined, taking into account an increasing role of parliamentary diplomacy in the modern world the meeting of speakers of countries-participants of the Group of Friends of Neutrality “The role of parliamentary cooperation in strengthening peace and dialogue” is highly claimed today.

It was noted that the main feature and basic force of parliamentary diplomacy consists of the fact that it creates possibilities for the dialogue between direct representatives of citizens who, first of all, are members of parliaments. It allows to discuss in detail important and essential themes for people, to search for new things in common and to propose such initiatives, which will be really claimed and supported by citizens of our countries.

As speakers marked, from the very beginning, actively supporting initiatives of Turkmenistan on creation of the Group of Friends of Neutrality for peace, security and sustainable development, they took a direct part in the work of the association from the moment of its foundation in 2020.

For these years, the given format has proved as an active platform for multilateral dialogue concerning practical application of principles of neutrality with a view of prevention of conflicts, elimination of their reasons and consequences as well as humanitarian order.

Welcoming initiatives of Turkmenistan on development of inter-parliamentary relations, online speakers highly appreciated the role of our country in advancement of constructive international interaction and effective utilisation of tools of strengthening of global peace and security.

The significance of further intensification of fruitful cooperation between national parliaments of states-participants of the present multilateral meeting that will promote development of well-balanced solutions to topical problems of the present, strengthening of traditional relations of friendship, mutual understanding and trust between our countries and peoples, development of versatile interstate, regional and inter-regional partnership, which meets interests of general well-being and progress was noticed.

The speeches, which were made on the margins of the meeting, served another evidence of acknowledgement of richest experience of Turkmenistan, which could realise a unique model of permanent neutrality based on modern realities and centuries-old principles of Turkmen people, which is in the focus of special attention of world community.

In the given context, it was pointed out that openness to each other, established relations play a big positive role. The Turkmen parliament, its members were ready for the closest, regular, trust based cooperation with colleagues from the Group of Friends of Neutrality and are always ready to impart experience, solutions and plans.

Thus, the Turkmen side aspires to give an effective platform for maintenance of equal dialogue and strengthening of partnership in urgent issues of global development. In turn, it will promote not only solution of security issues and sustainable development, but also augmentation of mutual understanding and respect between various parties that is an indispensable condition of achievement of stable peace.

With a view of intensification of cooperation between the United Nations Organization and both national and inter-parliamentary unions, they expressed their readiness for close interaction in the legislative activities and exchange of experience on innovations, advancement of principles of neutrality and dialogue in attainment of peace and security as well as Goals of sustainable development.

The outcome of the first meeting of heads of parliaments of member countries of the Group of Friends of Neutrality “The role of parliamentary cooperation in strengthening peace and dialogue” found its reflection in the Final document adopted on the basis of proposals and opinions made there.