MEETING OF THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF TURKMENISTAN WITH THE UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICE

On November 2, 2020, the meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov with the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov was held through videoconferencing.

During the meeting, the parties noted the constructive level of long-term cooperation between Turkmenistan and the UN on a wide range.  Special attention was paid to the issues of regional and international security, including the strengthening of collaboration in the framework of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.  

The head of the external policy agency of Turkmenistan confirmed the strong commitment of the state to take part in the activities of the UN on addressing the general challenges and threats to regional and international security, including terrorism, extremism, cross-border crime, human trafficking. The important steps of the Government of Turkmenistan in the given context were underlined. Being a part of the fundamental treaties and conventions of the UN, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, Turkmenistan stands for the advancement of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia, as well as the joint actions on the maintenance of non-proliferation and disarmament in general.           

The parties noted the significance of cooperation with the involvement of the potential of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.  The importance of the Ashgabat Declaration of 2011 and the Central Asia’s Joint Plan of Action to counter terrorism which paved the way to the adaptation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to a specific region was underlined.  In this regard, the significance of strengthening collaboration between the countries of the Central Asia was noted. Special accent was made on the application of the principles of preventive diplomacy, including the development of the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly entitled “the Role of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia” that was initiated by the Turkmen side.      

The parties also highlighted the efficiency of the permanent neutrality status of Turkmenistan, in particular the principles of neutralism in preventing conflicts.  Honoring the 25th anniversary of obtaining the given status, the country has initiated the development of the draft resolution of the UN General Assembly entitled “the Role and Significance of the Neutrality Policy in Sustaining and Strengthening International Peace, Security and Sustainable Development.”  

Emphasizing the importance of geostrategic location of Turkmenistan, the parties considered the opportunities of widening the collaboration for long-term, including the exploration of complex reasons leading to terrorism, timely exchange of expertise for adopting preventive measures. Speaking about the information security and the youth component of cooperation, the parties focused on the adoption of universal legal instruments under the auspices of the UN for the provision of security in the informational space.    

The adherence of Turkmenistan to strengthening the culture of peace and trust in the international affairs was reiterated. In this regard, the Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan informed his interlocutor about the initiatives of Turkmenistan for the coming year 2021 which is declared on the UN level as the Year of International Peace and Trust.