OREANDA-NEWS. November 17, 2010. The landmark, jubilee date in the history of independence of our country – 15 years have come since Turkmenistan gained the status of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan, is approaching. President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasizes that the status of neutrality is a key factor for the development of Turkmenistan’s mutually advantageous and constructive international partnership that meets the national interests as well as the goals to ensure peace, prosperity and sustainable development in the region and throughout the world.

On 12 December 1995, at the 90th meeting the UN General Assembly adopted the Resolution on Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan. The document of outstanding historic importance that determined the fate of Turkmenistan and its role in the political and economic life of the world community, the political image of the country was adopted.

Thus, the country clearly defined and built its foreign policy strategy after only four years of independence.

Due to the national traditions and geopolitical specificities of the status of neutrality emerged as an objective and urgent need. Resource-rich Turkmenistan lies at the crossroads of economic, geopolitical and strategic interests of many states of the world.

Being aware very well that hypertrophied development of the defence industry, large armed forces, militarization of the economy and the use of substantial budgetary funds to meet the needs of the defence industry will not allow implementing successfully social and economic reforms in the country, the country has chosen the right way.

This way that conforms to the historical traditions and mentality of the Turkmen nation became gaining the status of neutrality that, on the one side, will protect the country from any possible outside interference, and on the other hand, will testify to Turkmenistan’s peace-loving foreign policy based on equality, mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs of other states, strict adherence to the letter and spirit of the UN Charter, non-participation in military blocs and alliances, good neighbourliness and mutually advantageous cooperation, respect for all international partners. Independent Turkmenistan has made its choice and defined permanent neutrality as the guideline of its foreign policy.

The principles of neutrality underlie the foreign policy of our country from the early days of independence. This fundamental aspect of the foreign policy was enshrined in the Basic Law, the Constitution of Turkmenistan, and the Parliament adopted the resolution regarding this principle as the basis of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy.

In practice, Turkmenistan started building relations with other countries on an equal and mutually beneficial basis. We are alien to the interpretation of neutrality as self-isolation and passivity. Turkmenistan's intentions were based on the active assertion of strict compliance with international law and principles of communal conduct enshrined in the UN Charter.

Turkmenistan is among the first of the newly independent states to accede to all international conventions and treaties on non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, other weapons of mass destruction.

Turkmenistan stated its commitment to the foreign-policy principles of positive neutrality in the summer of 1992 in Helsinki.

At the meeting of CIS member states in Ashgabat in December 1993 Turkmenistan put forward a new, positive idea of building relationships on the basis of mutual understanding between countries, settlement of conflicts through political means, non-interference in internal affairs of each other.

The leader of the Turkmen state presented the conceptual foundations of the status of permanent neutrality in his speech at the anniversary 50th session of the UN General Assembly.

A critical step in gaining the status of neutrality become Turkmenistan’s participation in the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held in Cartagena (Colombia) in 1995, when Turkmenistan joined the Non-Aligned Movement and received the support of its members. The support of neighbouring countries and other friendly countries, the Organization for Economic Cooperation was particularly important.

A historic landmark in this intense activity aimed at promoting the concept of permanent neutrality was the Turkmen leader’s address at the summit of the Organization for Economic Cooperation in 1990 to the leaders of this regional organization, who supported the country’s efforts to get support for its status of neutrality from the international community.

The choice of states to pursue the policy of neutrality is their sovereign right and prerogative. However, the importance and significance of recognition and respect for this status by the international community is difficult to overestimate. The Congress of Vienna laid the foundations for permanent neutrality of Switzerland In 1815, and the Conference of Four Powers in 1955 - the foundations of permanent neutrality of Austria.

The Government of Turkmenistan attached great importance to receiving recognition of its policy of permanent neutrality by the international community as represented by its highest forum - the United Nations.

Having enlisted the multilateral support, Turkmenistan addressed the UN for support of its status of neutrality.

In his message to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali the leader of the Turkmen state wrote that our troubled region needs to have a permanent peacekeeping centre, which could become a venue for discussions of any issues that arise between nations. Without questioning the authority and the area of discretion of the major international organisations, recognized by the European capitals, we believe that the presence of the state with the status of permanent neutrality in the region would make a situation in it more manageable and predictable, and hence more sustainable.

This address was called forth by Turkmenistan’s intention, on the one hand, to enhance its status of neutrality and on the other hand to express its readiness to meet the commitments undertaken by a neutral state to the world community. Situated on a geopolitical crossroads, in the hotspot of ideological, ethnic, religious, economic realities, Turkmenistan was getting a chance to become a long-term strategic factor for stability in the region, an active participant in the peace-building processes taking place under the auspices of UN.

The highly responsible and complex mission to implement the Turkmen leader’s idea and embody it in a document that reflects the will and support of the international community for the concept of permanent neutrality of our country fell to the lot of the young diplomatic services of Turkmenistan. When determining the format and process of drafting this document, the Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the UN was guided by the basic international legal documents defining the status of neutrality. This format has become the wording “permanent neutrality”.

Permanent neutrality means that the state undertakes the commitment never to make or participate in a war (expect for in self-defence) and pursues a confrontational foreign policy. In peacetime, the neutral state cannot join any military alliances and blocs or provide its territory to foreign troops, etc.

Certainly, neutrality imposes an obligation to follow the peaceful policy, ensure a civilized economic and financial, social and legal environment so that the neutral state could receive political, economic and social benefits in full.

In order to strengthen its permanent status the permanently neutral state is to promote trade, cultural and other friendly contacts with other countries and international organisations operating in the political or economic and financial spheres.

The status of permanent neutrality implies certain rights and responsibilities of not only of the neutral state, but also other countries in relation to it.

The document securing the support of the international community for the status of permanent neutrality could become only the major UN document compulsive for all states and countries, i.e. a resolution of the UN General Assembly.

On December 12, 1995 the Resolution on Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan was adopted unanimously with the co-sponsorship of 25 member states.

By real deeds Turkmenistan proves its adherence to the commitments through making a constructive contribution to sustainable development of the region and interregional cooperation. The political stability in the country, extended infrastructure of hotels and communication networks enabled Turkmenistan to attract attention as a venue for international negotiations and consultations. The constructive nature of Turkmen neutrality was evidenced in its efforts to organize and host three rounds of inter-Tajik talks in 1996, an active contribution to achieving cohesion in Afghanistan, close cooperation with the OSCE, the European Union and other international organisations, strengthening multilateral cooperation with countries of the region and other states. Turkmenistan became a hotspot for international meetings, forums, exhibitions, etc.

On the initiative of Turkmenistan the Unite Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) was opened in Ashgabat on December 10, 2007. Through studying and analyzing the situation in the region, UNRCCA implements consultations and seminars on a regular basis in collaboration with the Governments of five Central Asian states to address emerging problems.

Promoting its progress as a democratic, constitutional, secular state, Turkmenistan has updated the national legislation, formed the Commission on Human Rights, established the Turkmen National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights and declared justice and respect for the rights of citizens to be the fundamental ideal. Turkmenistan was the first among the post-Soviet countries to abolish the death penalty.

During the years of independence Turkmenistan sees a rapid economic growth, constructs and reconstructs of social and industrial facilities, develops infrastructure. The growth of the oil and gas, textile, chemical, food, building materials and other industries has been promoted. The fuel and energy sector of the national economy is intensively developed. The programme for diversification of transit of Turkmen energy to world markets is implemented successfully. The active measures are taken in collaboration with the UN to implement the initiative of President of Turkmenistan on reliability and stability of energy transit. Transport and communication infrastructure is extended.

Turkmenistan provides humanitarian support to countries in need. This year alone, Turkmen has provided assistance to Afghanistan, Pakistan to help these countries to overcome the economic crisis and consequences of the devastating natural disasters r due to the difficult economic situation which has befallen them, and natural disasters. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov donated USD 500,000 to the people of Haiti who had suffered from the earthquake. Haitian children participated in the international children’s art festival and spent summer holidays in Turkmenistan.

The major vectors of the policy of the Turkmen state include disarmament. Turkmenistan is one of the first countries to accede all the treaties and conventions on disarmament, to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, to the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty.

Addressing the 65th session of UN General Assembly in 2010, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presented Turkmenistan’s new initiatives aimed at strengthening peace and stability in the region. The Turkmen leader proposed to establish the forum for security, peace and cooperation in Central Asian region as a permanent mechanism for promoting the regional dialogue to build mutually acceptable approaches to certain issues and adopt relevant decisions. Providing active assistance to neighbouring Afghanistan in ac achieving peace and sustainable development, the President of Turkmenistan proposed to conduct the international high-level meeting on confidence-building measures in Afghanistan and the development of effective institutions of government under the aegis of the UN in Ashgabat.

In his speech at the High Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals of the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov described precisely the status of neutrality of Turkmenistan.

“Neutrality for us is not just a legal status. This is an active position, full-scale involvement in international processes through building peace, providing assistance in developing effective models of economic cooperation. This is the provision of a political platform for tackling problems existing in the region and beyond in order to establish lasting peace, security and facilitate sustainable development and progress.”