In the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State, Turkmenistan under the leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov continues to follow steadily the creative foreign policy initiated by Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. Displaying its adherence to principles of positive neutrality, peaceful disposition and good neighbourhood, our fatherland makes a concrete contribution to development of equal constructive partnership in regional and global dimensions. At that, a special significance is given to strategic interaction with the United Nations Organization, which bears a multivector character.
As the head of the state marks, the United Nations act as a unique universal and legitimate organisation, which is a pillar of modern system of international cooperation, guarantor of preservation and maintenance of peace, universal security and stability. As the first neutral state officially recognised by the United Nations, Turkmenistan has proved as a reliable and responsible partner of the Community of the Nations.
The meetings of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres who visited Ashgabat in July of the current year once again attested to clear determination of our country on further promotion of fruitful interaction with the United Nations Organization and its specialised agencies.
The initiative approach to issues of cooperation and as a whole, the foreign policy strategy of Turkmenistan have found a wide international recognition and support. Election of our neutral state to the leading structures of the United Nations as well as Vice-Chairman of sessions of the General Assembly - the main thing consultative, directive and representative body of the Community of the Nations also testifies to this fact.
In the given context, one should point out that Turkmenistan was elected Vice-Chairman of the forthcoming 79th session of UN GA, in which the priority positions of our country confirming its invariable adherence to full-fledged meaningful dialogue in key areas of the international agenda, development of balanced decisions of paramount problems connected with achievement of the goals of sustainable development will be announced.
At that, special attention is given to issues of maintenance of peace and security. As known, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization adopted a number of resolutions, including the one on declaration of the following year 2025 as International year of peace and trust. During its activity during the next 79th session of UN GA, our country will be guided by principles of neutrality, non-interference and preventive diplomacy. The strengthening of peace and trust at the regional level, in particular, by means of intensification of cooperation within the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, are priority problems of immediate prospects.
Turkmenistan will also continue its organizational activity to develop the Strategy of global security. Putting forward this initiative in September of the past year at the plenary meeting of the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov underlined that Turkmenistan throughout many years firmly and persistently has defended the principle of indivisibility and integrity of security, inherence from each other its various aspects any of which cannot be minor or irrelevant. It evokes necessity of development of a co-ordinated and integrated approach to important problems faced in the given sphere. One can achieve their solution only together, with the main role and under the aegis of the United Nations Organization.
In his speech, the head of the state emphasised that such Strategy, which is based on principles of the Charter of the United Nations and conventional norms of international law, should, taking into account realities and tendencies of world development, reflect presence of new risk factors, which have appeared lately. It was also noted that Turkmenistan considers necessary inclusion of a number of areas of activity of the United Nations in the given Strategy. Among them: preventive diplomacy as tool of prevention and neutralisation of conflicts; use of potential of neutrality for peace, political-diplomatic settlement of disputes and contradictions; restoration of culture of confidential dialogue on the basis of corresponding resolutions of General Assembly of the United Nations adopted in 2021 and 2023.
In the given context, our country calls all interested states, international structures, institutes and United Nations Organization agencies for interaction. Here it is important to mark that the potential of the Group of friends of neutrality for peace, security and sustainable development, created at the initiative of Turkmenistan on the basis of the United Nations will be involved more widely. Today it serves as an open platform for constructive exchange of opinions on various issues of regional and global partnership.
Now the Group unites different states of the planet. Among them - the 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, «Role and significance of the policy of neutrality in maintenance and strengthening of international peace, security and sustainable development» of 2020.
Regular meetings carried out on the sidelines of this multilateral dialogue urged to promote development of steady political-diplomatic mechanism for advancement of principles of neutrality in international relations, strengthening of fruitful cooperation, which safeguards interests of general well-being.
In this regard, we should remind that in August 2020 in New York the first session of the Group of friends of neutrality at the ambassadors level where adherence to the principles fixed in the Charter of the United Nations was confirmed, took place. In December, 2022 Ashgabat hosted the first ministerial meeting of the Group. Its final Declaration in March of the past year was published as an official document of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly under agenda item «Peacebuilding and sustaining peace».
During the high level meeting of the Group of friends of neutrality that took place in in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan a hybrid format in December, 2023, it was noted that activity of this association is focused on practical results and testifies to the requirement of the given structure, its importance at the present stage of development of international relations.
It is remarkable that in February of this year the Mejlis of Turkmenistan held the first meeting of heads of parliaments of member countries of the Group of friends of neutrality, which was also in a hybrid format. Heads of legislative bodies of different states, representatives of international and regional organisations took part in the meeting «The Role of Parliamentary Cooperation in Strengthening Peace and Dialogue».
As it was stated, taking into account an increasing role of parliamentary diplomacy interaction in the field today is rather actual. It was also underlined that Turkmenistan more and more actively advances the agenda for peace, development and cooperation at the global and regional levels, proposes constructive solutions to a whole number of difficult international problems.
As participants of the meeting pointed out, the main feature and basic force of parliamentary diplomacy consists of the fact that it creates possibilities for dialogue between direct representatives of citizens who are 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 really demanded initiatives.
The meeting, which took place in the Mejlis, the outcome of which found its reflexion in the adopted final document, confirmed that the richest experience of our fatherland, which has realised really unique model of permanent neutrality, based on modern realities and centuries-old vital foundations of Turkmen people, is in the focus of special attention of the world community.
In the context of theme of preparation for participation in the 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations it is also necessary to note that development of international documents, including ones timed to the 30th anniversary of permanent neutral status of Turkmenistan and to the 15th anniversary of The Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ) will proceed.
As known, in 2025, the United Nations Organization will mark its 80th anniversary. This significant date and the 30th anniversary of neutrality of our fatherland are closely interconnected. Basic principles of neutrality, as a matter of fact, are reflexion of positions of the Charter of the United Nations, which become today an original imperative of modern peacebuilding, indispensable condition of general development, creation and progress. And our country in practice confirms readiness henceforth together to work over achievement of high goals of the United Nations.
Returning to the topic of declaration of 2025 as International year of peace and trust, one should point out that this initiative of Turkmenistan fixed in the Resolution of General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, became a direct massage to all states to realise the responsibility for destiny of the planet, for the future of all humankind for peace and trust philosophy has a universal significance.
As National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov marked at the meeting with Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, which took place on July 6, there is a deep political logic and healthy symbolism that International year of peace and trust coincides with the 30th anniversary of permanent neutrality of our country. Then, Hero-Arkadag expressed his opinion to consider this visit of the head of the United Nations to Turkmenistan as the beginning of forthcoming joint activity within the above-named year, the idea of which bears in itself deep world outlook, humanistic messages and practical plans.
As to the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone (CANWFZ), as known, it was ratified by all five states of Central Asia and came into force in 2009. Creation of the Zone became a result of collective efforts of Central Asian countries in their general aspiration to provide security, stability, peace and sustainable development in the region. Occupying an active position in issues of regional and international cooperation, Turkmenistan brings an effective contribution to advancement and support of positive processes in the given area.
It was once again acknowledged during the meeting of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Robert Floyd who visited Ashgabat, which took place on July 30.
As the head of the state noted, Turkmenistan supports disarmament, non-distribution of weapons of mass destruction, maintenance of general nuclear security. Our country, being the participant of some major treaties - «On the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons», «On Nuclear Test Ban», «On the Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia», steadily carries out its obligations. Turkmenistan, being attached to maintenance of peace and global security on the planet, is ready to render comprehensive support in development of cooperation with CTBTO.
In the given aspect, it is also necessary to note constructive interaction established between our country and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), entering into United Nations Organization system. From first years of its independence, after joining of Turkmenistan the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, it has held bilateral consultations with IAEA. In 2005, with the given Agency, the corresponding Agreement for the Application of Safeguards was signed and it also promoted adjustment of effective cooperation.
Since 2016, Turkmenistan is a full-fledged member of IAEA and it develops relations in a number of areas. With a view of strengthening of international legal basis of interaction in 2023 our country joined two Conventions of IAEA on nuclear security. Technical cooperation with Agency is actively carried out, joint projects are realised. As known, IAEA activity is aimed at stimulation and development of international partnership in the field of peaceful use of atomic energy. Thereupon among perspective vectors of interaction are public health services, in particular, nuclear medicine.
One of the bright examples of fruitful cooperation of Turkmenistan with the authoritative international organisations and structures is also long-term partnership with Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), uniting 120 states on the basis of nonparticipation in military-political blocks and consolidation of efforts for Peace, security and well-being on the planet. The foreign policy strategy of our fatherland, which is a NAM member Since October 1995, was initially built on these criteria.
Aspiring to promote the strengthening and promotion of effective cooperation on the extensive geographical space, Turkmenistan supports the strengthening of the role of Non-Aligned Movement globally. Here, once again neutrality is also urged to become one of the principles of intensification of activity of this organisation.
So, our country proposes NAM member states to start development of co-ordinated approaches to include provisions of neutrality as one of the factors of preservation of universal peace and stability, prevention and neutralisation of conflicts in the initiative on Strategy of global security.
Among proposals of Turkmenistan, which possesses rich peace-making experience, - creation of the specialised program for training and work of global mediators of the United Nations. It is stipulated by necessity of activity of professional mediators in the present international situation.
Besides it, counteraction to modern calls and threats, including terrorism remain to be a priority vector of partnership on the world scene. Turkmenistan will continue close cooperation with specialised structures of the United Nations Organization in the given area.
Thus, priority positions of our country at the forthcoming 79th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations testify to invariable adherence of our fatherland to the policy of positive neutrality and multiplane international interaction, aspiration to promote strengthening of relations of friendship, mutual understanding and trust between states and people. The universal initiative put forward by our country «Dialogue is the Guarantee of Peace», topicality and demand of which was confirmed by time, is namely aimed at achievement of these purposes.