May-2024: following the course of the foreign policy initiatives of the head of state

19.06.2024

The prospects of mutually beneficial partnership of Turkmenistan became the main topic of discussion at numerous international events held last month – political consultations, business negotiations, conferences and seminars in online format, exhibitions, cultural events. All of them are "indicators" of the active work of the ministries and departments of the country to implement the policy of "open doors" and broad international cooperation initiated and successfully implemented by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. On May 3, the first meeting of the Turkmenistan–UN Strategic Advisory Council was held in a hybrid format at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where issues of preparing a Framework Program for Cooperation in the field of sustainable Development between Turkmenistan and the United Nations (UNDAF) for the period 2026-2030 were discussed and 8 projects were considered, including in the fields of youth policy, digitalization, demography, "green" energy, climate change. As a result, a number of documents were signed in such areas as environmental protection, healthcare, agriculture, etc. The high level of cooperation in the field of culture was noted at a meeting with the head of the Turkmen-Austrian Society, Neda Berger, held on May 7 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A vivid example of cultural dialogue is the regular holding of the Vienna Ball and concerts of the Turkmen-Austrian Symphony Orchestra "Galkynyş" in our country. The interlocutors also discussed the participation of the Austrian side in events dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Turkmen poet and thinker Makhtumkuli Fraga. On May 10, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan organized a press briefing on the events on the occasion of the anniversary of the outstanding figure Makhtumkuli, in particular, the holding of international conferences, the opening ceremony of the Magtymguly Pyragy cultural and park complex in the capital, etc. During a meeting with the European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, Ms. Teri Hakala, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 13, an exchange of views took place on the prospects for further development of partnership between Turkmenistan and the EU. Contacts in the field of environmental protection, "green" and digital technologies, education, energy and the transport and logistics industry are identified as priority areas. Cooperation in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres was discussed at a meeting held on the same day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan with members of the delegation of the Japanese Parliament headed by Chairman of the Japan-Turkmenistan Interparliamentary Friendship Group Toshiaki Endo. At the meeting of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with the head of the Turkmen-Austrian Society, Ms. Neda Berger, on May 14, she was expressed great gratitude for her efforts in bringing our countries closer, building bridges of friendship and interaction. Successful development based on the principles of mutual trust and openness was the main topic of the conference "30 years of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union: working together for the future" held on the same day at the Foreign Ministry. The Turkmen delegation took part in the meeting held on May 14 in Astana at the level of Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries participating in the Dialogue "Central Asia+Japan", at which topical issues of cooperation between the Central Asian countries and Japan in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres were discussed. During the meeting with representatives of the International Labour Organization (ILO) held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 14, an exchange of views took place on further expanding the dialogue and establishing ties on a systematic basis. On May 15-16, an international exhibition of modern Food Production Technologies was launched at the Expocenter of the country's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which reflected not only Turkmenistan's achievements in the field of agriculture, but also the huge potential of business structures demonstrating activity in this industry. The working visit of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which took place in Kazan (Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation) on May 15-16, was another step towards developing close cooperation with the largest regions and subjects of Russia, which is an integral part of traditionally friendly relations with the Russian Federation. During his visit to the Republic of Tatarstan, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, as an honorary guest, took part in the XV International Economic forum "Russia–the Islamic World: KazanForum 2024", and also held a number of meetings. The main purpose of the 10th meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the member states of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY), held on May 16 in the conference hall of the Arçabil Hotel within the framework of the year "Anau - the cultural capital of the Turkic World – 2024", was to identify new opportunities for joint cooperation between UNESCO and TURKSOY in the field of protection of historical, cultural natural and written monuments of the Turkic-speaking countries, as well as a mutually beneficial combination of efforts to ensure the inclusion of national heritage values in international lists. On the sidelines of this forum, a meeting was held with the Chairman of the National Commission of the Republic of Turkey for UNESCO, Ocal Oguz, at which the fruitful partnership established between the countries within the framework of TURKSOY and UNESCO was noted, in particular, in the context of submitting general nominations to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Mankind and other UNESCO programs. The International Conference at the level of Ministers of Culture of foreign countries, held on May 17, dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great Turkmen poet and thinker of the East Makhtumkuli Fraga, gave a powerful impetus to the expansion of mutually beneficial relations in the field of culture, further activities in this field, in-depth study and wide popularization of the rich literary heritage of Makhtumkuli Fraga in the world. During a meeting with President of the Institute of Culture of the Organization for Economic Cooperation (ECO) Saad Khan, held at the country's Foreign Ministry within the framework of the forum at the level of ministers of culture, the parties exchanged views on the prospects for further strengthening relations between Turkmenistan and the ECO Institute of Culture. During the Turkmen-Japanese political consultations held at the Foreign Ministry on May 17, the positive dynamics of the development of interstate cooperation in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields, including in the oil and gas and gas chemical industries, in the fields of electric power, transport, science, education, medicine, etc. were considered. The effectiveness of interparliamentary relations was also noted. On May 17, the country's foreign Ministry held a meeting with the Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty, Amir Pirich, at which the significant role of the Regional Office in continuing the partnership between Turkmenistan and UNESCO in the field of preservation, popularization of historical, cultural and natural heritage, education, sports, and digitalization was noted. On May 18, in Ashgabat, as part of the events on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great thinker and classical poet Makhtumkuli, an international scientific conference "The Storehouse of the mind of Makhtumkuli Fragi" was held, the main objectives of which were the in-depth study and popularization of the literary and philosophical heritage of the outstanding master of the artistic word, the study of the relationship between languages and literatures of the peoples of the East. On May 21, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, visited the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Ashgabat and expressed condolences to representatives of the fraternal country in connection with the helicopter crash, on board of which the country's leader Seyed Ebrahim Raisi was also on board. The Arkadag hero conveyed words of sincere empathy and support to the families and friends of the victims at this difficult moment, and also made an entry in the Book of Condolences. On May 21, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan held a meeting with CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev, who arrived in the Turkmen capital to discuss preparations for the upcoming high-level meeting within the CIS. During the negotiations, it was also noted that there are wide opportunities for effective cooperation within the CIS. On May 22, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held joint talks with Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway John Mikal Kvistad and the Kingdom of Sweden in Turkmenistan Thomas Danestad, at which the state and prospects of cooperation with Scandinavian countries in all directions within the framework of the European Union, including in the context of the EU Global Gateway initiative, were discussed. During the meeting held at the Foreign Ministry on the same day with the Special Representative of the Portuguese Foreign Ministry, Pedro Motinho de Almeida, the intensification of bilateral partnership within the framework of various international organizations, primarily the United Nations, was noted. At the meeting of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov with Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev, who arrived in our country to participate in the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS, on May 22, it was noted that the meeting would provide an opportunity to exchange views on such topical issues as economic relations, energy, infrastructure development and international transport corridors running through our territories. The meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States held in Ashgabat on May 24 clearly demonstrated the active and proactive position of neutral Turkmenistan in the development of constructive cooperation in the CIS space both in a bilateral and multilateral format, through reputable international and regional organizations and structures, and also confirmed the commitment of the participating countries to friendship and good-neighborliness and fruitful cooperation that meets the goals of general well-being. On May 24-25, the XXIII international universal exhibition "White City of Ashgabat" was held in the capital, demonstrating achievements, accumulated work experience and prospects in the field of urban planning, architecture and the formation of urban infrastructure in modern Turkmenistan. The nature of the exhibition, which was attended by over 160 domestic and foreign companies, representatives of enterprises of sectoral ministries and departments of Turkmenistan, as well as foreign business circles, determined the orientation for innovative development based on the study of world best practices and the introduction of new technologies. On May 26, Ashgabat hosted events dedicated to the Turkmen Carpet Holiday traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of May – an exhibition of carpets and carpet products, as well as the XXIV meeting of the World Association of Connoisseurs of Turkmen Carpet. This holiday has become one of the clearest examples of preserving the primordial types of decorative and applied art, the enduring values of the cultural and spiritual heritage of the nation. During the meeting with members of the business delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on May 27, the parties exchanged views on the development of bilateral contacts in various areas, including trade, investment, industry, etc. In this regard, the special importance of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Iranian Commission on Economic Cooperation was emphasized. On the same day, Turkmen-Kazakh inter-ministerial consultations were held in Astana (Republic of Kazakhstan), during which the intensification of political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian dialogue, as well as the expansion of inter-parliamentary ties and partnership between foreign ministries were considered. The meeting noted the positive experience of cooperation between the two countries within the framework of international and regional structures, in particular, the UN, OIC, ECO, CIS, and in the "CA+" formats. Topical issues of further development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in priority areas were discussed during the meeting of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, who is on a visit to Astana, on May 27. At the meeting held in Ashgabat on May 28, the Adviser to the President of Turkmenistan on oil and gas issues with the head of the Chinese branch of CNPC in our country, aspects of expanding mutually beneficial relations in various directions, including in the fuel and energy industry, especially in the gas sector, were considered. On May 28, during a meeting with the Regional Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for Central Asia, Matilda Bogner, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs exchanged views on topical issues of developing Turkmenistan's partnership with OHCHR in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law. The delegation of Turkmenistan took part in the ministerial conference in the format "Central Asia–Italy", held on May 29 in Rome. At the forum, the foreign ministers discussed the state and prospects of cooperation, in particular, on issues of preserving and strengthening regional and global stability. On May 30, consultations between the heads of structural divisions of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka took place in the format of a videoconference. The issues of expanding interstate relations in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, including agriculture, oil and gas, chemical, transport and logistics, investment, textile industry, tourism and education, were considered. Thus, the chronicle of the past month, full of diverse events, testifies to the steady growth of the international authority of our independent neutral Homeland and the effectiveness of the peacekeeping policy of Head of State Serdar Berdimuhamedov, aimed at developing trusting relations with all interested states and reputable international and regional organizations for the benefit of Turkmen people and peoples of the whole planet.