Ashgabat Promotes Neutrality as Focus of Swiss OSCE Chairmanship
At the final meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna this year, Turkmenistan summarized the International Year of Peace and Trust. The key outcome of the meeting was a look beyond 2025: Ashgabat proposed that the OSCE integrate the philosophy of neutrality into the priorities of the Swiss Chairmanship in 2026.
Ashgabat, December 21 | ORIENT. The meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna, held on the eve of the year's end, served as a platform for Turkmenistan to present its long-term strategy. Instead of simply summing up the results, the country's delegation emphasized how the experience of Turkmen neutrality will be useful for the Organization in the next two years, especially given the transition to Switzerland's Chairmanship in 2026.
Switzerland 2026: A Bridge Between Neutral States
One of the key messages of the speech was a look to the future – the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship in 2026.
Synergy of Neutrality: Turkmenistan expressed hope that the concept of positive non-alignment will receive due attention on the Bern agenda.
Shared Values: Like Turkmenistan, Switzerland has extensive experience in neutral mediation. Ashgabat sees this as a unique opportunity to advance initiatives to strengthen security in Central Asia.
2025 Results: A Year That Laid the Foundation
The delegation recalled that the outgoing year 2025 was significant – it marks the 30th anniversary of the international recognition of Turkmenistan's neutrality and the International Year of Peace and Trust declared by the UN.
The OSCE was briefed on the results of the recent High-Level Conference in the Turkmen capital. The importance of OSCE Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu's visit to Ashgabat was noted. This confirmed that Central Asia is today a priority zone for preventive diplomacy and environmental security.
Concluding the diplomatic year, Turkmenistan thanked the Finnish Chairmanship in 2025 for its inclusive approach and commitment to the Helsinki principles. However, the main conclusion of the meeting was clear: Turkmenistan's neutrality remains an "active instrument" of peace, which will only strengthen in the coming year of 2026.
