President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov:
Neutrality is our wealth. Its value was recognized by the world community. It is a doctrine ensuring peace and friendship, humanism and goodwill co-operation and development.
In the prosperous period of our sovereign state, under the leadership of our esteemed President, our Independent, Permanently Neutral Turkmenistan is confidently moving forward with a peaceful path of development. Every day in the year of “Turkmenistan — Homeland of peace and trust” is filled with memorable historical events in the destiny of our state and people. Every year on December 12 is a great holiday in our country, the day when Turkmenistan gained the status of Neutrality. On this day, our Fatherland Turkmenistan celebrates its glorious achievements during the years of Neutrality.
Turkmenistan had to go through many historical paths to achieve the status of Neutrality. At the United Nations General Assembly, 185 countries, members of the United Nations at that time, voted unanimously for a special resolution “Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan” in New York on December 12, 1995. A few days later, this international decision was reinforced by the adoption of the Constitutional Law, and the International status of Neutrality was also enshrined in the Constitution of Turkmenistan. The UN twice, with its Resolutions of December 12, 1995 and July 3, 2015, recognized and supported the status of the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan and called upon all UN member states to respect and support this status of Turkmenistan. In 2017, the UN resolution declared December 12 as International Neutrality Day.
Our permanent Neutrality opening wide opportunities through active participation in international life, creates the necessary conditions for securing the universal peace, for supporting the fruitful trends of economic co-operation and for being devoted to solution of important problems. At present, Turkmenistan cooperates with 151 countries and more than 40 international organizations. Turkmenistan closely co-operates with the UN, OSCE, EU, ECO and other authoritative international organizations.
Cooperation of Turkmenistan with the United Nations Organization is built on the principles of strategic partnership and has received new content at modern time. Turkmenistan makes effort to comprehensively strengthen peace, stability and security at the global and regional levels. It should be noted that in its foreign policy as a neutral country Turkmenistan follows the principles of “Open Doors” policy and equal and mutually beneficial co-operation in the international arena. Since gaining the status of neutrality our Motherland steadily realizes all related rules of the Resolution of the UN Organization and carries out concrete measures on regulation of the situation in the region. On the initiative of our esteemed President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov the establishment of the UN Regional Centre of Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia in Ashgabat in 2007. It became a new stage in co-operation of Turkmenistan with the United Nations Organization.
Today, Neutral Turkmenistan is widely known as a peace-building state in all around the world. The whole world sees and recognizes our successes and great achievements attained during the Epoch of Prosperity of the Powerful State owing to the far-sighted and wise policy of our esteemed President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The neutrality of our country more brightly displays itself as a factor having a positive influence on stabilizing situations of regional and global scale, fruitful cooperation of states and international organizations in addressing burning issues of political, economic, humanitarian aspects.
Neutrality of Turkmenistan our sacred property, an unshakeable meaning of our life. We have the right to be proud of the eternal Neutrality of our Motherland. May the life of our esteemed President be long, and may his great initiatives and state attitudes of all mankind prosper!
Gozel Eminova
the 4th year student of the Faculty of the
International journalism of the Institute
of the International Relations of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan