Foreign policy initiatives of Turkmenistan acquire universal significance

ArmInfo.Only a few days separate us from the completion of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly - the most authoritative international structure in the world. From the first days of independence, Turkmenistan has identified cooperation with the UN as one of the highest priority areas of its foreign policy.

Considering the UN platform as a platform for international negotiations, proposing initiatives and solving problems of a regional and universal nature, our country fully supports the values ​​of the world order underlying this organization and its Charter. As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted in his recent lecture speech to students: “The foreign policy of neutral Turkmenistan is the path of peace, the path calling for friendship and brotherhood among all peoples of the planet. The opening of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in Ashgabat is a clear confirmation that our neutrality is of great importance in maintaining peace..."

Taking an active part in the process of cooperation and being a responsible member of the international community, Turkmenistan takes an active part in the multifaceted activities of the UN. In this context, the development and promotion by our country of priority positions on the agenda of the 76th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations is evidence of the consistency of Turkmenistan's participation in the processes of strengthening global peace, stability and security, the full implementation of the declared Sustainable Development Goals and commitment to consolidate efforts of the world community to address key issues on the global agenda. In the foreign policy strategy of our country, a key role is assigned to cooperation with all states of the world community in solving global problems of a general human nature. Thus, continuing to contribute to the efforts of the world community to reduce the negative consequences of the spread of a new type of coronavirus infection, Turkmenistan proposes to carry out political and socio-economic measures by expanding international cooperation. In this context, the adoption, at the initiative of our country, of the UN General Assembly Resolution "Strengthening ties between all modes of transport to ensure stable and reliable international transport for sustainable development during and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic" dated 29July  2021 was another confirmation of the high efficiency of Turkmenistan's foreign policy.

The key tasks of this special Resolution are the intensification of the efforts of the international community to reduce the risks arising at the present time in the world economy, in particular, in the transport sector, and the formation of a specialized legal framework in this direction. The provisions of the document are called upon to play a key role in strengthening multi-vector cooperation in the transport sector at the global and regional levels, as well as in finding positive solutions to key issues in this area, creating and developing international transport and transit corridors. In addition, this Resolution is a contribution to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic around the world. Consistently continuing to support the efforts of the world community to combat the spread of a new type of infection, our country considers it appropriate to draw special attention of the world community to strengthening the interconnection of global programs to counter the pandemic and UN strategies in the field of response to emergencies, including in the field of health. We are talking, in particular, about the Sendai Framework for Action 2015–2030.

Based on the initiatives previously put forward by the distinguished President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to combat coronavirus infection, our country intends to promote proposals on the establishment of a number of international and regional instruments and structures during the 76th session of the General Assembly also. Among them are the Special Program of the World Health Organization for the Study of the Coronavirus Genome; World Health Organization Multilateral Pneumonia Control Mechanism; Methodological Center of the World Health Organization for the Treatment and Prevention of Acute Infections; Central Asian Regional Center for Epidemiology, Virology and Bacteriology. In the context of the humane principles of the policy of neutrality, our country makes a significant contribution to the enhancement of the efforts of the international community in the work of maintaining peace, security and confidence and carries out fruitful activities in this direction. It was noted that in strengthening peace, security and trust, a special place is given to the instruments of the institution of neutrality, which is recognized as an effective mechanism for strengthening the culture of peace. Based on these goals, our country initiated a number of proposals, on which important international documents were adopted. The world community fully supports the foreign policy proposals of the President of Turkmenistan, which are reflected in the Resolutions adopted within the framework of the 75th UN session - “The role and significance of the policy of neutrality in maintaining and strengthening international peace, security and the process of sustainable development” dated 7 December 2020, “The role UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia” dated 16 April 2021 and the creation of a Group of Friends of Neutrality within the UN. These endeavors have an important role to play in strengthening multi-vector cooperation at the global and regional levels. This year's motto "International Year of Peace and Confidence" initiated by the Turkmen side and fully approved by the UN, actually contributes to the strengthening of trust between the countries of the world.

In this regard, it is important that our country plans to convene in Ashgabat the International Conference "The Politics of Peace and Trust - the Basis of International Security, Stability and Development". This forum has been entrusted with a responsible mission - to become an important platform for discussing promising tasks and solutions to problems of international security and peace. At the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, it is planned to hold a dialogue on security and cooperation in the Central Asian region, to establish a regular International Forum on Security, Peace and Development in Central Asia. The Central Asian region is the center of attraction for the interests of many countries of the world and regions, which, in fact, determines its important geopolitical and geo-economic significance. As an active participant in the dialogue in the region and beyond, Turkmenistan actively promotes important initiatives to establish fruitful cooperation, involving neighboring regions in this process. The holding this year in our country of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of the Central Asian States, the discussion within its framework of issues of regional development and the adoption of the final document became an important event in the intensification of cooperation between the countries of the region. As of today, it is known that important documents adopted at the end of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States held in August this year on the Turkmen coast of the Caspian Sea - in Avaza were recognized as a document of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. These documents include the Joint Statement on the results of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of the Central Asian States and the Declaration of Dialogue of Women of Central Asian Countries, which reflect the important issues and tasks of the region that directly affect the development of the whole world. This fact also confirms the importance of the Central Asian Platform for promoting regional development. Also during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, our country intends to initiate the draft Resolution of the General Assembly "Strengthening regional and international cooperation in order to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region", which will become an important document for ensuring multilateral partnership on key issues on the agenda that will meet the interests of the countries of the region and the world. Turkmenistan intends to continue its policy of enhancing cooperation in the economic, energy, transport, cultural and humanitarian spheres and in matters of security and sustainable development. All these initiatives, proposed by our country in the framework of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, are designed to contribute to the sustainable development of the world, strengthening the central and coordinating role of the United Nations in these issues. It is indicative that this position is entirely consonant with a fragment of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's speech to students on the day of knowledge and student youth: “Our foreign policy and geo-economic initiatives on the Sustainable Development Goals, preventive diplomacy and current regional issues clearly confirm that our state the solution by the world community of issues of universal human importance”.

Akmuhammed Jumakuliyev,

Teacher of the Institute of International Relations of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan