The Scientific Center for Strategic Studies at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan has become an important platform for the development, analysis and promotion of foreign policy initiatives of the country in a relatively short period of time.

Since its establishment in 2021 in accordance with the decree of the President of Turkmenistan, the Center has achieved significant success in strengthening international cooperation, expanding the geography of relations and participating in key forums dedicated to regional security, sustainable development, energy, water and transport diplomacy.

We talked with the Director of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Shiri Shiriev about how the Center forms strategic approaches to the implementation of Turkmenistan's foreign policy, what events took place last year and what is planned for the future.

– Shiri Akoylievich, what is the main mission of the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies and how does it stand out among other analytical centers in the region?

– The main mission of our Center is to develop conceptual approaches to the implementation of Turkmenistan's foreign policy strategy that meets the modern challenges of international relations. We strive to strengthen international cooperation, deepen scientific and analytical dialogue and support initiatives that promote security and sustainable development in Central Asia and beyond.

– What results of the Center could you highlight?

– One of the important results was the expansion of the geography of our cooperation. Over the past year and a half or two, we have established interaction with leading analytical centers of the countries of our region, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the CIS, and the European Union. We have signed a number of documents with such authoritative research institutions as the International Institute of Central Asia in Tashkent, the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, the Center for Strategic Studies of Tajikistan, etc.

In addition, our experts actively participated in international forums, including events within the framework of the formats “Central Asia + China”, “Central Asia + EU”, “Central Asia + Korea”, the Organization of Turkic States, etc.

– Central Asia is attracting more and more attention from the world community. How do you assess the role of Turkmenistan in regional cooperation?

– Turkmenistan plays an important role in strengthening regional cooperation, especially within the framework of the aforementioned “CA+” format. This format helps to solve common problems, such as security, sustainable development and promotion of economic projects.

Turkmenistan actively promotes initiatives aimed at peace and stability, including projects in the field of energy and transport. And we see a growing interest in Central Asia due to the stability of the region, sustainable economy, natural resources, transport capabilities, diverse human resources and geopolitical position. Against this background, collegial contacts are expanding and intensifying. For example, experts from similar centers in Poland and Italy recently visited us at the CSR.

– What areas do you consider to be priorities for the analytical work of the Center in the coming years?

– Priority areas remain strengthening regional cooperation in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, analysis of international initiatives and development of strategies aimed at increasing the role of Turkmenistan in the global agenda. We plan to deepen scientific dialogue with partners, participate in the development of solutions to global challenges and strengthen our expertise in the field of sustainable development, energy security and climate change and other areas.

– How does the Center interact with international organizations, media?

– We closely cooperate with the UN, OSCE and other international structures. One of the striking examples is our holding of the 5th Central Asian Expert Forum in December 2022, which became a platform for discussing topical issues of the region and cooperation on climate change, water management, food security and information and communication technologies. We organized this forum with the assistance of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

In May 2024, our delegation took part in the Tashkent meeting of representatives of analytical centers, law enforcement agencies of the Central Asian region and relevant EU institutions. The event was organized in accordance with the agreements reached at the 2nd meeting of the leaders of Central Asian countries and the European Union, held in June 2023 in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan.

Our analytical materials are also regularly published in both domestic and foreign media, which contributes to the dissemination of Turkmenistan's ideas and experience in the international arena.

I can note our fruitful interaction with the ORIENT website, this can be called our successful joint media project, which has been going on for several years. And last year, 2024, within the framework of this project, a series of detailed materials, reports and analytical reviews on the topics of international events with the participation of specialists from our CSR were published.

I will name a few of them: this is a regional expert meeting in Dushanbe on security issues in Central Asia, the International round table "Central Asia and Afghanistan: Vision of a Common Future" in Termez, Uzbekistan, the 1st Forum of Analytical Centers of Central Asia and the Republic of Korea, IV Forum of Analytical Centers "Central Asia - China Expert Conference "Central Asia - European Union: New Agenda for Security Cooperation" in Tashkent, 7th Central Asian Expert Forum in Astana...

In addition, ORIENT pages also publish materials from our partners from analytical centers in neighboring countries.

– How does your Center begin 2025 in the context of international events?

– In the near future, in mid-January, we have planned to participate in a regional videoconference dedicated to the analysis of the problems of combating the illegal trafficking of new types of psychoactive substances in Central Asia.

The organizers of this forum were the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan together with the National Drug Control Center under the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Regional Office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran, and Pakistan. The agenda of the meeting includes a discussion of current trends in the distribution and use of new psychoactive substances in Central Asia, as well as measures being taken to combat them.

In general, 2025 promises to be a busy period for the Scientific Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Continuing to strengthen international cooperation, the Center intends to actively participate in solving key regional and global issues, paying special attention to finding joint solutions in such important areas as water and energy resources, transport and logistics, assisting Afghanistan in strengthening peace and stabilization in this country.

The activities of the Center, focused on strategic analysis and development of practical recommendations, are aimed at promoting the implementation of Turkmenistan's foreign policy priorities and strengthening regional cooperation. This once again emphasizes its importance as an analytical link that plays an important role in promoting the peace-loving and creative policy of our country's leadership in the international arena.

– Shiri Akoylievich, thank you for the detailed story about the activities of the Center for Strategic Studies of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV