President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov made a speech at the international forum "Turkmenistan and international organizations: cooperation for peace and development" held in Ashgabat today.

As an active member of international life, Turkmenistan, in order to make a worthy contribution to ensuring sustainable development and well-being at the global level, puts forward a number of important international initiatives related to topical issues of our time, the Turkmen leader said.

As a supporter of both bilateral and multilateral cooperation, our country regularly puts forward tasks of great importance for present and future generations at various levels, in particular within the framework of international organizations, and tries to solve them.

Therefore, Turkmenistan is not limited to introducing important initiatives aimed at enhancing broad international cooperation and meeting the fundamental interests of all countries and peoples, but is taking measures to implement them in practice. The head of state noted that our current meeting is evidence of this.

Referring to its agenda, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that issues affecting national and universal interests will be considered. We will exchange views on them and determine how to work together in the near future.

The Turkmen leader continued his speech in Russian, one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

The head of state cordially congratulated the participants of the meeting on the new year, wished them good health, well-being, and great success in their responsible work.

This year, our country, together with the entire world community, will widely celebrate the 25th anniversary of the international recognition of Turkmenistan's neutrality. This is indeed an important date, a landmark event in the independent history of the Turkmen state, a milestone in its foreign policy, the Turkmen leader stressed.

Referring to its agenda, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that issues affecting national and universal interests will be considered. We will exchange views on them and determine how we will work together in the near future.

The Turkmen leader continued his speech in Russian, one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

The head of state cordially congratulated the participants of the meeting on the upcoming New year, wished them good health, well-being and great success in their responsible work.

This year, our country, together with the entire world community, will widely celebrate the 25th anniversary of international recognition of Turkmenistan's neutrality. This is a really important date, a landmark event in the independent history of the Turkmen state, a milestone in its foreign policy, the Turkmen leader stressed.

In this regard, the head of state noted that specific proposals on organizational issues and the content of this Conference will be gratefully accepted. In particular, together we need to determine the theme of this Forum, its program and procedure, and develop the final document of the Conference, the President of Turkmenistan said, expressing confidence that representatives of international organizations present here will actively participate in the process of organizing and holding the above-mentioned International conference.

Then the head of state turned to the background of our country's neutrality. For Turkmenistan, which has gained independence in the most difficult conditions of radical changes in the entire system of international relations, the choice of foreign policy has become one of the most important issues, the President said.

What will this course be like, how do we build relations with the world community, and what principles should we use to develop international cooperation? The fate of the Turkmen state, our independence and sovereignty largely depended on the answers to these questions and on the correctness of our choice.

For history knows many examples when mistakes in choosing a foreign policy model led to the loss of real independence of States, their involvement in the orbit of interests that are very far from the true goals of national development.

Turkmenistan chose a model called positive neutrality and formulated its fundamental provisions: peacefulness, non-interference in the Affairs of other States, respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-participation in international military organizations and treaties.

We began to purposefully pursue a sovereign, neutral, but at the same time active and constructive foreign policy. It is not surprising, therefore, that the world reacted kindly and with understanding to our efforts to consolidate Turkmenistan's neutrality as an international legal status. Our country received support first from its neighbors in the region, then from the non-aligned Movement.

On December 12, 1995, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution "Permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan".

It was a wise, far-sighted decision. Time has shown its compliance with the long-term goals of the United Nations and the interests of the development of States and peoples of the world in peace and security. Further events confirmed this with all the evidence.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed that Turkmenistan's neutrality has become a significant factor in international peacekeeping efforts in our region, recalling that it was in Ashgabat that a series of negotiations took place under the auspices of the UN, which played an important role in achieving peace and harmony in Tajikistan. The capital of our neutral state became the venue for negotiations on the settlement of the intra-Afghan conflict in the late 90's of the last century.

Turkmenistan has become a reliable ally and effective partner of the UN in preserving and maintaining political stability in the region, developing good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation. This was also confirmed in the decision of the international community, with the support of all States in the region, to open the UN regional center for preventive diplomacy for Central Asia in Ashgabat in 2007.

We took this as a huge responsibility and at the same time as evidence of trust in Turkmenistan on the part of the United Nations, the head of state said.

Today, Turkmen neutrality is a significant factor in regional security. Its basic principles are fully consistent with the UN's strategic guidelines in Central Asia, aimed at turning the region into a zone of peace and cooperation, a strong link to continental stability. In this context, the UN can always count on the support of Turkmenistan, which uses the political and diplomatic means inherent in neutrality to create an atmosphere of mutual understanding and trust, favorable conditions for equal and constructive partnership, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.

The head of state noted that the importance of neutrality in modern conditions is eloquently evidenced by the fact that the UN General Assembly declared December 12 as the International day of neutrality on the initiative of Turkmenistan. The unanimously adopted resolution, in particular, emphasizes the importance of the policy of neutrality in strengthening international peace and security at the regional and global levels, and its role in the development of peaceful, friendly and mutually beneficial relations between countries.

As a neutral state, Turkmenistan sees the establishment of a culture of dialogue in resolving emerging issues and contradictions as one of its priorities. As you know, on September 12 last year, the UN General Assembly unanimously and with the co-sponsorship of 73 member States adopted a resolution initiated by Turkmenistan to declare 2021 the International year of peace and trust.

It is significant that the text of the resolution reflects the importance of preventive diplomacy, which is consistently promoted by Turkmenistan. There is every reason to believe that preventive diplomacy after the adoption of the resolution will play a more significant role in preventing conflicts, strengthening and preserving peace and stability in various parts of the world, and act as one of the effective practical tools of multilateral diplomacy, the Turkmen leader said.

The head of state expressed confidence that the resolution was highly relevant and timely, especially against the background of those difficult trends in international politics where, despite the efforts of the international community, the situation in some regions of the globe remains difficult, there is an extension conflict-prone areas and, simultaneously, reducing the overall level of trust and understanding the views on the ways and prospects of global development.

In this context, our country will develop and submit to the UN a number of proposals for the international year of peace and confidence with the maximum practical benefit for efforts to ensure peace and security, the President of Turkmenistan said, noting that in forming these initiatives and their further implementation, we hope for close cooperation with the relevant UN structures and other international organizations.

Also during the current session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan took the initiative to develop a Set of rules on the application of the principles of neutrality in ensuring peace and security. We believe that this is a very useful initiative, and we count on your support in its implementation, the head of state said, addressing the forum participants.

Such a document could be used by the international community as an effective lever to prevent possible confrontations, prevent them from escalating and developing into a power stage, and translate conflict-related processes into a peaceful, negotiated course.

Recently, we also proposed the creation of a group of friends of neutrality in the interests of peace and security, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov continued, expressing readiness to cooperate closely with all parties interested in promoting this initiative.

The head of state emphasized that Turkmenistan has been and remains an active participant in international efforts to combat modern challenges and threats, and stressed the firm position of our country in countering terrorism, combating drug trafficking, and human trafficking.

In this regard, a number of national and regional programs and projects are being implemented in our country together with international organizations. In particular, on December 6 last year, the national strategy of Turkmenistan for preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism for 2020-2024 and the national action plan for 2020-2022 for countering human trafficking were adopted. We hope that our partners from the relevant international organizations will take an effective part in their implementation.

As the Turkmen leader further stressed, the issue of supporting reconciliation processes in Afghanistan is of particular importance today. The head of state confirmed Turkmenistan's position: as a neutral state and a direct neighbor of Afghanistan, our country is ready to provide all necessary conditions for establishing a peaceful dialogue on Afghanistan. There is no alternative to the negotiation process, the President of Turkmenistan said. All previous experience has shown that force methods are counterproductive and have no prospects.

For many years, Turkmenistan has provided specific, targeted economic and humanitarian support to Afghanistan. It is expressed in the construction of medical and educational institutions on the territory of the neighboring country, preferential electricity supplies, training of Afghan students in Turkmen educational institutions, regular dispatch of humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan, and other types of assistance and assistance. All this is financed by Turkmenistan from its own resources.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov assured both Afghan friends and the international community that such support will continue, and on a systematic basis, in accordance with the special program developed in Turkmenistan.

The key condition for political stabilization, economic and social reconstruction of Afghanistan and its successful integration into regional and global economic processes is the implementation of major infrastructure projects with Afghan participation, primarily in such vital areas as energy, transport and communications.

We will continue to work on their implementation and are ready to expand our cooperation with international organizations in providing comprehensive support to Afghanistan, - the head of state said.

Noting that today priority is given to the economic aspect of Turkmen neutrality, which means creating conditions for accelerated socio-economic growth of our country, the development of its mutually beneficial foreign economic and trade relations, the President stressed that neutrality guarantees against any politicization of such cooperation, and ensures equal treatment of all our foreign partners. The defining criteria here are mutual benefit, economic and commercial validity, and respect for the traditions and laws of our country.

This position is well understood and highly appreciated by our partners and allows us to develop mutually beneficial relations with various countries and companies. As a neutral state, we can shape our long-term foreign economic strategy based on clear and distinct principles derived from our international status.

The provisions of Turkmenistan's neutrality, non-confrontational worldview, and our strict adherence to the UN Charter and international legal norms are fully manifested in the implementation of international projects in which the country participates. Their focus is determined not only by commercial and economic benefits, but also by the desire to bring States closer together and create an atmosphere of greater trust and predictability in relations between them.

In turn, this will contribute to the expansion of economic ties between countries and the practical implementation of the principles of openness and equality in international economic cooperation. These foundations are laid in the activities of international organizations of economic, financial and investment orientation.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that Turkmenistan is ready to intensify cooperation with international financial institutions such as the world Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for reconstruction and development, and the Islamic Development Bank. In the past year, we have also strengthened our work on studying the rules and procedures for joining the world trade organization, the head of state added.

Another topic of today's exchange of views is the implementation of the Sustainable Development Agenda, where Turkmenistan is also ready to share its experience in this area.
The head of state stressed that Turkmenistan, having fully supported this Agenda, immediately started implementing consistent and substantive steps to implement the Sustainable Development Goals at the national level.

Already in October 2015, consultations were held between UN agencies and representatives of ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, during which the composition of the Joint working group on adaptation of the Sustainable Development Goals was agreed and approved.

Based on the results of such consultations, about 150 objectives and about 200 indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals approved at the government level were selected. Thus, according to the UN assessment, Turkmenistan became the first country in the Eastern Europe and CIS region to set its sustainable development priorities for implementation over the next 15 years.

Today, the most important parameters of the Sustainable Development Goals are organically integrated into the program of social and economic development of Turkmenistan for the period 2019-2025. In the economic part of this Program, the implementation of the SDG is intended to help ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy supplies, sustainable economic growth and full employment, create flexible infrastructure, support sustainable industrialization, and encourage innovation. The main importance is given to the widespread digitalization of the economy.

The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in Turkmenistan has a pronounced social orientation. These are the most important aspects, such as ensuring food security and improving the nutrition of the population, promoting a healthy lifestyle everywhere, ensuring full gender equality, and creating conditions for inclusive, fair and quality education.

Starting to implement national plans in various sectors of the economy and social sphere, Turkmenistan responsibly and strictly correlates them with the environmental component of the Sustainable Development Goals. To do this, the country is switching to the use of modern environmentally friendly and resource-saving technologies in all sectors of the economy: industry, agriculture, transport and other areas.

We have always clearly stated our position on this issue: ecology and the environment should not become hostages of commercial benefits, no matter how attractive they may seem, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, stressing that ensuring the sustainable development of our country and improving the quality of life of the population is directly related to solving environmental problems in the region.

Among them, one of the main ones is saving the Aral Sea. At the summit of the founding States of the international Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) held in August 2018 In Turkmenbashi, our efforts in this direction were discussed in detail, and certain agreements were reached. Thus, important steps were taken to improve the activities of IFAS and increase its efficiency.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov urged to move more actively in this direction, to make wider use of the potential of the international community, first of all, the UN and its specialized bodies.

We have put forward an initiative to develop a Special UN program for the Aral Sea basin and to make the Aral issue a separate area of United Nations activity. A good basis for this is the UN General Assembly resolutions "Cooperation between the United Nations and the international Fund for saving the Aral Sea" adopted in 2018 and 2019, the head of state noted.

It is necessary to concentrate more efforts of the Central Asian States and international structures in ensuring equal and fair access to water resources, the head of state continued. Turkmenistan's position is well known here: we believe that consideration and solution of water use problems should be based on international law, mutual respect and consideration of the interests of all States in the region, and with the participation of international organizations.

In General, as the President noted, we expect to continue a constructive dialogue on the issue of Sustainable Development Goals, which involves combining efforts at the international, regional and national levels.

In this context, strong confidence was expressed in expanding Turkmenistan's partnership with the United Nations Development Program, UNICEF, the world health organization, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Environment Program and other specialized agencies and institutions of The United Nations

One of the priority topics on the international agenda of Turkmenistan in the context of implementing the UN Agenda until 2030 is our country's cooperation with UNESCO, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov further said.

As the head of state stressed, as a result of many years of joint work with UNESCO structures and its experts, we have achieved significant results. Today, such cultural monuments as "Ancient Merv", "Kunyaurgench", "Parthian fortresses of Nisa", the epic art of the Turkmen people "Gorogly", the Turkmen national art of singing and dancing "Kushtdepdi", the traditions of Turkmen carpet-making are included in the UNESCO List of the world cultural heritage of mankind.

In the near future, we intend to make efforts to realize the potential of cooperation with UNESCO in such areas as education, science, ecology, and sports, the Turkmen leader said.
The President of Turkmenistan focused on humanitarian issues. As you know, for a number of years, in order to further improve the country's democratic institutions and effectively fulfill its obligations in the field of human rights, Turkmenistan has been implementing close and multifaceted cooperation with relevant international organizations.

The main in our work is the implementation of the principle of "State for people", aimed at creating favorable conditions for the full potential of the human person. We confirm our desire to intensify partnership with international organizations such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, the international organization for migration, the international labor organization, the international Federation of red cross and red Crescent societies and other humanitarian organizations, the head of state said.

Turkmenistan is entering the 25th anniversary of its neutrality in an environment of peace and creation, good neighborliness, respect and mutual understanding with its friends and partners in the world community, the Turkmen leader said at the end of his speech.

We clearly see our prospects and confidently form plans for the development of the state and society. A well-adjusted course for broad, multi-faceted international cooperation allows us to look forward with optimism. Turkmenistan's neutrality is the reality of today and our future, which opens up new opportunities for developing a broad international partnership in all areas.

Following our strict adherence to our international obligations, we declare our readiness to cooperate widely and actively with international organizations in order to achieve common creative goals, - President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.