Turkmenistan proposes to expand the representation of UN structures in the country
On Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov held a videoconference with the heads of the representative offices of the UN structures in Turkmenistan and regional UN agencies.
In particular, the meeting was attended by the Regional Director of the UN Office for the Coordination of Development Activities Gwi Yop Son, Director of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Tehran Golda El Khoury, UNHCR Regional Representative Hans Friedrich Schodder, UN Permanent Coordinator in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shlapachenko and other heads of the Organization's offices: UNDP, UNODC, UNFPA, UNICEF, WHO, UN Regional Center for Preventive Medicine.
The agenda of the meeting included topical issues of Turkmenistan's interaction with UN agencies, which, as Rashid Meredov stressed, is a priority vector of Turkmenistan's foreign policy. The Minister expressed the desire of the Government of the country to further deepen multifaceted cooperation with the Organization in strengthening peace and security, implementing Sustainable Development Goals, forming a sustainable transport system, combating climate change and in other areas.
As part of the discussion of Turkmenistan's initiatives on international platforms and the implementation of national programs, the role of the resolutions of the UN General Assembly and its subdivisions, initiated by our country, was emphasized. In particular, the resolutions on the role of "The role of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia" dated February 24, 2023, "Central Asia – a zone of peace, trust and cooperation" dated July 28, 2022, "World Sustainable Transport Day" dated May 16, 2023, "Consideration of the conditions for the creation of a Special Program" were noted. United Nations Organization for the Aral Sea Basin" dated May 19, 2023, etc.
During the negotiations, an exchange of views took place on the prospects of Turkmenistan's cooperation with specialized UN structures on such tracks as sustainable development, digitalization, sustainable transport, climate change and environmental protection, reduction of greenhouse gas and methane emissions, rational use of water resources, humanitarian dimension, including human rights aspects, resolving issues of refugees and stateless persons citizenship, preservation of national cultural heritage, application and implementation of best practices in the education and healthcare system, including the fight against non-communicable diseases and initiatives for unified health.
"The Turkmen side made a proposal to consider the possibility of revealing new areas of cooperation. In particular, they expressed readiness to expand cooperation with the UN, namely, to increase the representation of the organization and its structures in Turkmenistan. In this context, special attention was paid to the ongoing work on the designated topic," the press service of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry reports.
In their speeches, the heads of UN units informed about the ongoing joint work with the government of Turkmenistan, supported proposals to find new ways of interaction and shared their vision and ideas on this matter.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to strengthen the activities of UN specialized programs in Turkmenistan, including on a regional scale.
ORIENT news
