the newly appointed United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Ms. Xiaojun Grace Wang, has presented her credentials to His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan, officially assuming her duties as the designated representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and the highest-ranking representative of the UN development system in the country. In return, the President of Turkmenistan handed over his letter expressing confidence that the appointment of Ms. Wang will provide new impetus to strengthening the UN-Turkmenistan cooperation.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov congratulated Ms. Wang on her appointment and wished her success in carrying out her mandate. The parties reaffirmed the strategic and productive partnership between Turkmenistan and the United Nations as well as their shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation in support of the the country’s national development priorities as reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Ms. Wang expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome and reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations Country Team’s to continuing working closely with the people and Government of Turkmenistan and all development partners to advance sustainable, inclusive and resilient development for the benefit of all people in the country.
During the meeting, Ms. Wang noted she felt privileged to serve in Turkmenistan and commended the country’s active role in promoting regional and global cooperation through close cooperation with the United Nations and its entities. She highlighted Turkmenistan’s important contributions to regional and global public goods through its permanent neutrality, preventive diplomacy, support for multilateralism, and initiatives advancing peace, sustainable development and international dialogue. She also noted the adoption of the Awaza Programme of Action at the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in 2025 as a significant contribution to addressing the development challenges and opportunities of Landlocked Developing Countries.
Ms. Grace Wang thanked the President of Turkmenistan for Turkmenistan’s steadfast commitment to multilateralism and reaffirmed her commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership between Turkmenistan and the UN system.
As the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan Ms.Wang highlighted four priorities that will guide the work of the United Nations Country Team:
- Putting people at the centre of development, with a strong focus on leaving no one behind, particularly women, young people and vulnerable groups;
- Supporting innovation and technology for sustainable development, including facilitating the application and transfer of new technologies and supporting the operationalization of the Regional Climate Technology Centre for Central Asia in Ashgabat;
- Strengthening data systems and evidence-based policymaking, including advancing SDG monitoring and promoting the “Beyond GDP” approach highlighted in the Pact for the Future; and
- Mobilizing the full expertise of the United Nations system to support Turkmenistan’s priorities, including the establishment of the proposed University of Peace and Neutrality.