OREANDA-NEWS. April 24, 2008. The new opportunities and future trends of Turkmenistan-UN co-operation were discussed at the roundtable, which was held at the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy. President of the United Nations General Assembly Srgjan Kerim, who was on a visit to the Turkmen capital, participated in the meeting.

The heads of the UN agencies accredited to Turkmenistan, the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Turkmenistan, the National Institute for Democracy and Human Rights under President of Turkmenistan, the Institute of State and Law under President of Turkmenistan and the parliamentary committees participated in the meeting, which activated the work of this important regional structure.

Opening the meeting and cordially greeting the President of the UN General Assembly Vice Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R. Meredov characterized the Turkmenistan-UN partnership strategy as meeting the interests of global peace, security and sustainable development. The Minister said that this partnership was based on the unique experience of collaboration accumulated since adoption of the UN Resolution on neutrality. The UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy standing as a universal instrument of tackling modern challenges the countries in the region and the international community faced nowadays was an outcome of the effective joint efforts of many years. Noting significance of the meeting for further intensifying co-operation with the United Nations the head of the foreign ministry focused on the active position Turkmenistan took putting forward a number of the important initiatives, which were welcomed and supported by the international community. In particular, the initiative on pipeline security as an important factor of co-operation and economic development in the region had drawn a wide response.

Addressing the meeting President of the United Nations General Assembly Srgjan Kerim highly appreciated Turkmenistan’s steps and expressed profound satisfaction at the results of the recent fruitful and constructive meeting with President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov that had enlarged view of modern Turkmenistan, the Turkmen leader’s policy of reforms including the sphere of international relations, in which Turkmenistan had won international prestige

Touching upon the current level of co-operation with Turkmenistan standing as a key UN partner in the region Mr. Srgjan Kerim focused on the priorities of the newly-establishing UN structure in Central Asia. The head of the international forum said that the Centre for Preventive Diplomacy was to be the outpost of regional co-operation, a pillar of partnership with Turkmenistan and the other Central Asian countries in establishing the supremacy of law, strengthening the foundation of democracy and tackling threats and challenges to the modern world.

Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan, Head of the UNICEF Mission in Ashgabat Waheed Hasan characterized co-operation with Turkmenistan as highly fruitful. On behalf of the United Nations agencies in Turkmenistan Mr. Waheed Hasan expressed gratitude to the Turkmen partners for the constructive approach to building partnership within the framework of the five-year UNDAF Programme as well, which served as a reliable platform of implementing a number of the joint projects and programmes aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals and fulfilling the priority tasks of Turkmenistan’s social and economic development.

The mechanism for preventive diplomacy standing as an important instrument of foreign policy was a focus of the roundtable discussions. The participants noted that preventive diplomacy as a key factor of peaceful settlement of disputes and conflicts was a priority of the UN’s activity.

Speaking at the meeting Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations A. Ataeva focused on importance of opening the Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Turkmenistan that had activated the mechanism of preventing conflicts as well as coordinating and harmonizing interests.

In whole, specifying the concepts and practical tasks of the newly-established regional structure the roundtable became another landmark step towards implementation of the profound potential of Turkmenistan-UN partnership in the interests of global peace, stability and wellbeing.