The situation in the Middle East is a source of serious concern for Turkmenistan, said National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in an interview with the Turkmen press.

"The current developments are causing serious concern for Turkmenistan. Our concerns are well-founded, as the vast Middle East region borders Turkmenistan. Therefore, events occurring there could have a negative impact on neighboring countries and the entire region," the State News Agency of Turkmenistan quoted Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as saying.

The National Leader emphasized that Turkmenistan's position as a neutral state is based on resolving conflicts and disputes exclusively through peaceful, political, and diplomatic means. According to him, this is a fundamental position that has never changed and will not change.

The National Leader also noted that over the past three decades, Turkmenistan has been actively participating in multilateral efforts aimed at reducing military activity and eliminating the use of force as an instrument of foreign policy.

Speaking about weapons of mass destruction, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated Turkmenistan's categorical rejection of such weapons. "Turkmenistan categorically supports the ban of weapons of mass destruction," he emphasized.

The Head of the Halk Maslahaty recalled that Ashgabat is a party to key international legal documents in the area of arms control, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and is also an active participant in the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

"For us, such legal status is not simply a political or military-technical category, but, first and foremost, a question of morality, humanism, and awareness of our responsibility to the current and future generations," added the head of the Halk Maslahaty.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also warned of the irreversible consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction for the population, the environment, and the socioeconomic development of entire regions, calling a frivolous attitude toward this threat extremely dangerous.

"As a physician who has dedicated decades to public service to protecting the health and lives of current and future generations, I want to note that weapons of mass destruction will lead to irreversible negative consequences," he concluded.