As we reported earlier, on July 6, negotiations between President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is visiting Turkmenistan, took place at the Oguzkent Hotel in Ashgabat. After the bilateral meeting, negotiations continued in an expanded format in the main conference hall with the participation of delegations from both sides. Here, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov made a profound speech. The Turkmen leader’s speech was published in today’s issue of the Turkmenistan newspaper:

Dear United Nations

Secretary General of the Organization

Mr. Antonio Guterres!

Dear members of delegations!

First of all: “Welcome to Turkmenistan!” I'm reaching out. We regard your visit as a new stage in our relations, aimed at strengthening cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Nations in a wide range of areas.

Dear Mr. Secretary General!

Today's meeting is evidence of the ongoing comprehensive strategic dialogue between Turkmenistan and the United Nations. Its main defining feature is that the goals and functions of this organization correspond to the national interests of Turkmenistan. These goals are reflected in the pursuit of peace, stability, security and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. It includes the approval of international law recognized in world politics and the norms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

Dear members of delegations!

Strategic cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Nations is long-term. This is the right path for our country. This is due to our obligations to the international community as a neutral state and the fact that we promote peaceful solutions to conflict situations. Mutually beneficial cooperation with the United Nations has been widely established in Turkmenistan. Currently, various divisions of the organization operate in the country. These are the United Nations Development Programme, the Children's Fund, the Population Fund, the World Health Organization and the Office on Drugs and Crime. With the support of all states in the region, by decision of the UN Secretary-General, a regional center for preventive diplomacy of this organization for Central Asia was opened in Ashgabat in December 2007. Delegations of the World Bank and the International Organization for Migration also work in the country within the UN system. All of them actively cooperate with our Government and make a great contribution to the development of Turkmenistan. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the United Nations staff working in the country for their cooperative efforts.

Dear Mr. Secretary General!

Regarding the priorities of our strategic dialogue, global security; regional situation; sustainable development; I think we need to pay attention to humanitarian issues. In the current conditions, specific measures are needed to prevent tense situations and provide opportunities for dialogue. It is important to establish regular ways of communicating in this area. Such relations must be based on the norms of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.

Turkmenistan, as a responsible state, took the initiative to develop a global security strategy at the 78th session of the General Assembly in September last year. Our country considers the use of preventive diplomacy, the prevention of conflict situations and their prevention as one of the main provisions of this document. In this regard, Turkmenistan is ready to closely cooperate with all interested countries, as well as with the relevant departments, agencies and institutions of the UN.

We also see great opportunities in regional cooperation. Today, Central Asia is becoming an increasingly important center of world geopolitics and energy, and a transport hub. Turkmenistan clearly sees its role in ensuring lasting peace, security, stability and sustainable development in the region. Various instruments of intergovernmental cooperation have been created in Central Asia. One of the main ones is the consultative meetings of the heads of state of Central Asia, established several years ago.

From the point of view of regional security, Turkmenistan pays special attention to the situation in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is our closest neighbor, our fraternal country. Our country will continue economic cooperation with Afghanistan and will provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people in the future.

The Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan power transmission system and many other large international energy and transport projects promoted by our country in Afghanistan.