An international conference dedicated to the 29th anniversary of Turkmenistan's accession to the United Nations was held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In accordance with the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, the forum was attended by the heads of ministries and departments of the country, diplomatic missions and representations of international organizations in Turkmenistan, rectors of universities, representatives of the media. The conference was also attended by the heads and representatives of the UN specialized agencies through video conferencing.

Opening the conference, Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov noted that 29 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a historic resolution under which Turkmenistan became a full member of the League of Nations.

During this period, Turkmenistan, actively pursuing an open-door policy, is dynamically developing cooperation with this largest international organization and its specialized agencies in the name of peace, security and sustainable growth.

The main vectors of interaction between Turkmenistan and the United Nations are strategic. Thus, on December 12, 1995, Turkmenistan gained permanent Neutrality, which has already been twice ratified by the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly. Based on its neutral status, Turkmenistan has repeatedly supported initiatives aimed at ensuring universal peace, security and sustainable growth.

Of particular importance in this context is the fact that Ashgabat has become the headquarters of the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. The Turkmen government also intends to expand the presence of the UN system in the country. Thus, an agreement was reached in February of this year to open a representative office of the United Nations Office for Project Management in Ashgabat. It is also important to note that since February 2021, the program staff of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has started its work in Turkmenistan.

At present, Turkmenistan's cooperation on the UN platform covers various spheres of life in the country. This is due to Turkmenistan's membership in 11 UN councils, commissions and committees. The country is also actively promoting its candidacy in other structures of the Organization.

In order to fully implement the Framework for Sustainable Development Cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the United Nations for 2021-2025, adopted on March 14, 2020, Turkmenistan is intensifying effective partnerships with the UN Development Program, UN Population Fund, UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR, World Health Organization and other structures of the UN system.

In their speeches, the participants noted Turkmenistan's commitment to the development of international cooperation in the name of peace, stability and sustainable development, and stressed the efforts of the country's leadership to strengthen culture, trust and mutual understanding in relations between countries and nations.