The strategic direction of Turkmenistan’s peaceful foreign policy, under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, is expanding relations and cooperation with other states of the world and its partners on multilateral basis.
This allows Turkmenistan to develop cooperation with international organizations. Turkmenistan is the initiator of a number of huge regional projects that were supported by the neighbors and consistently implemented.
The country pays great attention to the development of multilateral dialogue by organizing international conferences and forums. The most significant examples of expanding cooperation within the framework of multilateral diplomacy are Turkmenistan’s participation as a full member in activities of more than 40 international organizations.
The election of Turkmenistan as vice chairman of the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly emphasizes the increasing role of this Central Asian nation on the international arena. President Berdimuhamedov led a high-level delegation to the 64th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22-25.
The participation of the president at the forum as head of state and vice chairman of the 64th session of the UN General Assembly showed the nation’s increasing role on world stage.
In his speech, Berdimuhamedov said: “The main purpose of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy was and is comprehensive support to the world community in its effort in enhancing a global system of security, preventing and neutralization of challenges of conflicts, ensuring a condition for stable and sustainable development of states and peoples.”
He also gave his views on reforming the UN so as to make the world body more dynamic, effective, transparent, democratic and lend support to the world community in combating proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Turkmen leader has proposed a conference on disarmament in Ashgabat, under the auspices of the UN, in the first half of 2010.
Regarding the issue of ensuring global energy security, the president proposed “to develop universal mechanisms which would provide a reliable and safe functioning of international infrastructure of energy supply.”
Berdimuhamedov also proposed to the UN a plan to establish an expert group for preparing recommendations for developing future international legal documents on the transit of energy resources.
Within the framework of energy cooperation, the president noted that Turkmenistan, having huge resources of hydrocarbons, is a supporter of the diversification of energy supply to the world market, which means the creation of a multiversion pipeline infrastructure.
During his visit to New York, the president met with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He also held bilateral talks with the American business elite, a number of heads of state and international organizations. All new initiatives and proposals outlined by the president in the UN found great resonance in the political and business circles.
On his return to Turkmenistan, the president addressed a press conference in Ashgabat on Oct. 1 on the results of his visit to New York.
At the press conference, the president once again reiterated his nation’s position on energy and security issues as a whole. He also highlighted Turkmenistan’s role as a peacemaker that significantly contributes to global efforts to ensure peace and global security and as a dependable and responsible partner for establishing cooperation.
— Mukhamed Abalakov is the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
