Oriented on making people closer

Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov addressed the plenary session of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on September 27. Turkmenistan supports the UN mission as a conductor of the collective mandate and balance of interests of member states, Meredov emphasized, recalling that this position was confirmed during the meetings of the UN Secretary General with the President of Turkmenistan and the National Leader of the Turkmen people during Antonio Guterres' visit to Ashgabat this summer.

At the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan adheres to four priorities, namely: peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, and humanitarian issues.

In matters of global security, Turkmenistan places special emphasis on promoting a model of neutrality within the UN, which can provide the world community with practical tools for resolving existing and preventing potential conflicts.

Rashid Meredov also said that next year will mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution on the international recognition of Turkmenistan's neutral status. During this time, Turkmenistan's neutrality has demonstrated compliance with the high ideals, fundamental principles and goals of the UN. The unanimous adoption of the corresponding resolution by the General Assembly in 2015 demonstrated that neutrality has become the property of the entire world community.

At the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan will promote support for the political and legal foundations of neutrality and their application in a wide range of UN activities. Preventive diplomacy occupies an important place here. "We are convinced that the time has come to comprehend the significance of neutrality for world politics and its potential in the modern strategic landscape," the head of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said.

In this regard, Turkmenistan has put forward an initiative to grant neutral countries the status of priority partnership in UN peacekeeping efforts, which will serve as an incentive for more active use of neutrality and preventive diplomacy instruments.

One of the most important aspects of the UN security agenda is the practical implementation of the General Assembly resolution declaring 2025 the "International Year of Peace and Trust".

Turkmenistan, as the state that initiated this resolution, will take the leading role in holding the relevant events next year. "At the same time, we count on the support of all member countries, the UN Secretariat, its leadership, so that the "International Year of Peace and Trust" becomes a manifestation of the goodwill of the world community, its desire for peace and harmony, overcoming disagreements, conflicts, and rejection of dividing lines," Meredov said.

In the regional dimension, the most important aspect of ensuring security is cooperation in the Afghan direction, support for the people of Afghanistan in their aspirations to begin peaceful, constructive nationwide work to restore the economy, the social sphere, and resolve humanitarian problems.

In this context, emphasis was placed on major infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, implemented by our country jointly with international partners. Among them is the construction of the strategic Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Just two weeks ago, a new stage of construction of the gas pipeline on Afghan territory began.

Among other significant projects is the construction of power transmission lines and fiber-optic communication lines along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan route, as well as a new railway from Turkmenistan in the Afghan direction.

"Turkmenistan's humanitarian aid to the Afghan people will continue, including free construction of social facilities and education of Afghan students in educational institutions of our country. Thus, Turkmenistan in practice confirms its firm position of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan," the head of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry emphasized.

"Turkmenistan's humanitarian aid to the Afghan people will continue, including free construction of social facilities and education of Afghan students in educational institutions of our country. Thus, Turkmenistan in practice confirms its firm position of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan," the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan emphasized.

In addressing the global climate agenda, Turkmenistan will pay special attention to environmental protection in Central Asia and the Caspian region. In this regard, our country advocates for more active and broader participation of the UN in saving the Aral Sea.

Turkmenistan initiated the adoption of two recent UN General Assembly resolutions on cooperation between the UN and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea. In addition, in 2023, ESCAP also adopted a corresponding resolution on the modalities for establishing a UN Special Program for the Aral Sea Basin.

Among other specific problems of Central Asia, but with much broader implications and impacts, desertification and reduction of water resources are highlighted. All this requires more active cooperation with the UN, the physical presence of the Organization's offices in the region on a permanent basis. Turkmenistan is ready to work in this direction, in particular, to create, in cooperation with the UN, a specialized structure - the Regional Center for Climate Change Technologies.

The Caspian problem has also gone far beyond the region. Preservation of the Caspian as a unique natural complex is not only the internal affairs of the coastal states, but also a problem and challenge of global scale. Approaches to their solution should be appropriate, Meredov noted.

Therefore, Turkmenistan appeals to the UN, its specialized agencies such as UNEP and UNDP, financial institutions, environmental funds, primarily the Global Environment Facility, with an appeal to move to systemic and targeted interaction with the Caspian states in the fight against the shallowing of the reservoir, the destruction of its ecological balance, the reduction of biodiversity, and a number of other environmental and climatic problems of the Caspian Sea.

"The President of Turkmenistan proposed the Caspian Environmental Initiative at the last session of the UN General Assembly. We are ready to begin an active dialogue on this topic and hope for the full support of the General Assembly," Rashid Meredov said.

In the area of ​​Sustainable Development, it was proposed to promote a number of specific initiatives of Turkmenistan. In particular, this concerns the development of a Global Framework Program for the Transition to a Circular Economy. Other initiatives include the creation of a Global Atlas of Sustainable Transport Connectivity and the Alliance for Global Energy Security and Sustainable Development.

It was also noted that Turkmenistan has done significant work to reduce and prevent statelessness. More than 32 thousand people from among refugees and stateless persons have been granted citizenship of Turkmenistan. Thus, this year the country has fulfilled the five-year National Action Plan to Eliminate Statelessness.

Next year, the whole world will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. "We are approaching a milestone when responsibility, foresight, and realism should guide all our thoughts and actions. The time has come to reflect on the path we have traveled, to give assessments, to correct mistakes and shortcomings where necessary, and to move forward together along the path of improving the activities of the Organization and its institutions," Meredov said.

"Turkmenistan believes in the UN, in its enormous creative potential. For our country, the United Nations has been and remains a unique structure with universal legitimacy. The UN's voice must remain decisive in ensuring global peace and security, sustainable development, and solving humanitarian problems. Turkmenistan will continue to contribute to solving global problems for the sake of the future of the planet through the implementation of its priorities,” the head of our country’s delegation said.

(The full text of the speech is published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

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