On July 4, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov paid a working visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to participate in the Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Heads and high-ranking representatives of the SCO member states and countries with observer and dialogue partner status at the Organization arrived in Astana to participate in the Summit. Heads of international and regional organizations, including the UN Secretary General, are also invited to the forum. During the Summit, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov addressed the participants:
Dear Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich!
Dear Heads of State and Delegations,
First of all, let me express my gratitude to the distinguished President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev for the invitation, hospitality and excellent organization of the meeting.
This is not the first time Turkmenistan has attended the meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at the highest level as an honorary guest.
It has become a good tradition, and we perceive this status as a sign of respect for Turkmenistan, an indicator of a high level of trust and openness to our country, and the desire to develop close partnerships with it.
This approach fully meets Turkmenistan's intentions. Our country sees the SCO as a significant and promising partner, cooperation with which meets national interests, is able to significantly and positively influence the course and direction of regional processes, and contribute to the stabilization of the international situation.
Our country has deep historical ties, geographical proximity, common values and worldview with the peoples and States that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and work with it. Today, this is complemented by mutual interest in the economy, trade, investment, and technology.
And of course, Turkmenistan fully shares the fundamental principles underlying the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – peace, mutual respect, equality, cooperation. Together with the SCO, Turkmenistan is ready to work on their practical implementation.
In this regard, Turkmenistan has been persistently and for a number of years promoting the initiative of dialogue in the international arena as a guarantee of peace. This idea is fully consistent with the theme of our Summit. We see this as a good prerequisite for starting substantive joint work in the UN and other reputable multilateral structures.
As you know, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, 2025 was declared by the United Nations as the "International Year of Peace and Trust". This is fixed in the relevant Resolution of the General Assembly, which gives political and legal grounds for the full-scale involvement of our states in the process of consultations and negotiations at the UN in order to develop common approaches and a consolidated position on the peace and peacekeeping agenda.
In the same context, Turkmenistan would like to discuss with the SCO the possibilities of supporting our initiative on the formation of a Global Security Strategy, put forward by the President of Turkmenistan last September at the plenary session of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.
In case of a positive response, it would be possible to instruct the foreign policy services of our countries to develop an appropriate plan for political consultations. We count on your support for this proposal.
Summarizing the foreign policy part of my speech, I would like to emphasize that the fundamental goals of neutral Turkmenistan lie exclusively in the plane of peaceful, sustainable and predictable development.
We consider the formula of respectful dialogue as the basis of global peace and security as a key prerequisite for the transition to such a vector of relations, their consistent normalization and de-escalation of the situation.
Dear participants!
In its assessments of cooperation with the SCO, Turkmenistan proceeds from the convergence of our economic interests. We believe that the prospects for partnership and its long-term nature are already obvious today.
The Eurasian space has inexhaustible resource and demographic potential, demonstrates rapid economic growth, outstanding scientific and technological achievements.
Together, these factors open up unique opportunities for constructive cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in strategic areas – transport, communications, energy, and a number of other areas.
I am convinced that we have all the prerequisites to build sustainable, main partnership routes along the East–West and North–South lines.
Geographically, Turkmenistan is the natural optimal link in this large project. Within its framework, we are ready to work with the SCO states in various formats and configurations. If we talk about the transport and transit segment, then here we highlight the route through Central Asia from China to Europe and the Middle East.
Specifically, we are talking about the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran–Turkey corridor with access to Europe. From the point of view of logistics, this is a very convenient way.
For its effective functioning, it will be necessary to resolve, among other things, issues related to the cross-border movement of goods.
In our opinion, it should be about creating a regime of the most favored transport links, providing tariff, customs and other preferences at border crossings. We are ready to discuss this issue with interested partners in detail.
Another significant combined route with the participation of Turkmenistan and the SCO countries is the North–South corridor along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea through the port city of Turkmenbashi and further south to the Iranian sea terminals in the Gulf.
We see prospects for the SCO countries' participation in the context of combining the resource, economic and transport potentials of Central Asia, India and Pakistan.
We also see great prospects for joint work in the energy sector. Turkmenistan has the opportunity to significantly increase the volume of hydrocarbon raw materials and electricity supplied to the SCO countries.
In this context, I want to emphasize that we are clearly fulfilling our contractual obligations in terms of volumes and timing of natural gas supplies.
We invite interested SCO states to consider the parameters of their participation in energy and communication projects in Afghanistan initiated by Turkmenistan. We are talking about the implementation of projects for the construction of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India gas pipeline, power transmission lines and fiber-optic communication along the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan route.
In addition to purely economic benefits, such work will ensure the early and effective integration of Afghanistan into regional and continental processes, will contribute to the economic and social reconstruction of the country, and therefore to the stabilization of the political situation, the achievement of peace and harmony.
Among other important areas of cooperation with the SCO, we highlight trade, industrial cooperation, agriculture, the "green" agenda, and partnership in the field of information technology. Cross-border and regional business partnership models involving small and medium-sized businesses look promising.
We express our desire to expand and intensify humanitarian, scientific and educational ties. We advocate the development of joint youth programs in such areas as the study of historical and cultural heritage; an innovative future; the contribution of youth to environmental protection; youth entrepreneurship and business projects.
We give an important place to sports cooperation. As you know, not so long ago Ashgabat received the status of the City of new sports opportunities of the Commonwealth of Independent States. This status implies openness to the widest international sports cooperation, including with the participation of athletes from the SCO states.
Dear friends!
In conclusion, I would like to confirm Turkmenistan's great respect for the activities of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, its firm commitment to deepening good-neighborly and friendly relations with it and wish all participants of the meeting successful work.
