The first meeting of the heads of parliaments of the member countries of the Group of Friends of Neutrality took place
The first meeting of the heads of parliaments of the member countries of the Group of Friends of Neutrality took place. The meeting, entitled “The Role of Parliamentary Cooperation in Strengthening Peace and Dialogue,” was held on Thursday, February 15, in a hybrid format. The event was organized by the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
The forum brought together speakers of parliaments from different countries, leaders and representatives of international and regional organizations, this was reported in the news release of the Turkmen State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. In her welcoming address to the participants of the meeting, Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, Dunyagozel Gulmanova, noted that peaceful and positive neutrality is the basis of the country’s foreign policy.
“Parliamentary diplomacy of Turkmenistan is successfully carried out in accordance with the legal status of neutrality. It is implemented by establishing bilateral and multilateral relations with parliaments of foreign countries, and by participating in the work of international parliamentary organizations. And this is an important tool for supporting the international initiatives of our neutral state,” she said.
In Ashgabat, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, Kakha Imnadze, and UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Dmitry Shlapachenko, joined the face-to-face dialogue. They noted that Turkmenistan is increasingly participating in and promoting the agenda of peace, development and cooperation at the global and regional levels, offering constructive solutions to a number of global and regional problems of our time.
Video messages were heard from Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of the Republic of Uzbekistan Tanzila Narbaeva.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Council of the IPA of the CIS Valentina Matvienko, Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus Natalya Kochanova, Deputy Chairman of the Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic Nurlanbek Azygaliev, Chairman of the Parliament of the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Chairman of the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana Alban Suman Kingsford Bagbin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Sholban Kara-ool, parliamentarians of the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Kazakhstan.
It was emphasized that, given the increased role of parliamentary diplomacy in the modern world, such a format as a meeting of speakers of the participating countries of the Group of Friends of Neutrality is in great demand today.
In order to enhance cooperation between the UN, national and inter-parliamentary associations, it was expressed readiness for close interaction in legislative activities and exchange of experience, promoting the principles of neutrality and dialogue in achieving peace and security, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The main conclusions of the first meeting of the heads of parliaments of the member countries of the Group of Friends of Neutrality are enshrined in the Final Document adopted on the basis of the proposals and opinions expressed.
The Group of Friends of Neutrality in the Name of Peace, Security and Sustainable Development is an informal association of UN member states, created on the initiative of Ashgabat in 2020. The group is positioned as a platform for the development of multilateral dialogue on the practical application of the principles of neutrality in order to prevent conflicts, eliminate their causes and consequences, as well as in solving humanitarian problems.
Today, the Group of Friends of Neutrality includes 26 member countries, five of which joined the work in 2023.
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