Statement by the President of Turkmenistan at the BRICS Summit

Original in Russian

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(Kazan, October 24, 2024)

Distinguished Heads of State,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, for his hospitality and warm welcome.

Turkmenistan participates in the BRICS + Outreach Summit for the first time. Thank you for the invitation to such a representative event, we see in this a respectful attitude towards Turkmenistan.

As is known, Turkmenistan takes an active part in the efforts of the international community aimed at achieving and establishing the principles of cooperation, mutual respect and consideration of interests in the world. Our country uses its neutral status to promote the peacekeeping agenda, ensure global and regional security, and establish a culture of equal dialogue, trust and predictability in interstate relations.

An important component of Turkmenistan's foreign policy is the use of the model of neutrality, tools of preventive diplomacy to prevent conflict situations and eradicate the causes that give rise to them. We are convinced that in the current conditions the basic principles of neutrality are objectively in demand and, with the support of the international community, can bring real benefits to ensuring global security.

In this context, it is necessary to emphasize the special importance and high efficiency of the activities of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, which is headquartered in the city of Ashgabat.

As a responsible state, Turkmenistan proposes a number of measures aimed at normalizing and improving the international situation and moving to constructive parameters of interaction. In this regard, our country has made a number of serious proposals to the UN. Such as, in particular, the development of the Global Security Strategy, the Initiative to give neutral countries the status of priority partners of the UN in its peacekeeping efforts, as well as a number of proposals in the context of creating and strengthening regional security and stability.

A landmark event in this context was the unanimous support of the UN General Assembly for Turkmenistan's initiative to declare the next year, 2025, the International Year of Peace and Trust. We hope that all states will take an active part in the implementation of the provisions of the relevant General Assembly resolution.

The international strategy of Turkmenistan is based on the involvement of the country in modern geo-economic trends, initiative participation in solving urgent problems of our time, fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals, overcoming crisis situations in the environmental, food directions, creating and establishing equal, fair and reliable ways of access of countries and peoples to energy sources, clean water and air.

For this, our state also acts from an active and responsible position. I would like to draw your attention to the initiatives of Turkmenistan in the field of economy, energy and sustainable transport. In particular, we are talking about the development of a Global Framework Programme for the Transition to a Circular Economy.

Other initiatives include the creation of the Global Atlas of Sustainable Transport Connectivity and the Alliance for Global Energy Security and Sustainable Development.

In general, speaking about the current world geo-economic trends, Turkmenistan singles out one of their defining problems - the increasing importance of developing countries. They are largely designed to give new energy to the established, but already requiring constructive revision, old schemes of the world order, to bring new meanings and purposes into them. The key component here should be the equalization of the levels of scientific and technological development of states, digitalization and innovation standards; the unconditional priority of environmental criteria in the economy, trade, transport, industry, extraction and processing of raw materials, and a number of other areas. We intend to consistently achieve these goals.

A few words about the climate agenda. It is obvious that it will become key and will determine the entire trajectory of the path of human development in this century. Turkmenistan stands for the systematic consideration of climate issues as one of the basic components of the global approach to ensuring the architecture of security and development, the creation of multilateral mechanisms for monitoring and responding to climate, environmental and man-made cataclysms.

In the issues of environmental cooperation, Turkmenistan gives priority importance to the protection and preservation of the natural landscape in Central Asia, marine resources and biodiversity in the Caspian Sea, rational use of water and water and energy resources of these regions based on taking into account the interests of partners and generally recognized norms of international law.

We attach great importance to international cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, including resolving the problems of refugees and stateless persons.

In recent years, Turkmenistan has established good cooperation in these issues with the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and a number of specialized entities, which has led to significant positive results at the national level. We are ready to share our experience and practical developments with other countries.

Our country also considers it important to give proper impetus to cooperation in the cultural, scientific and educational spheres. The expansion of knowledge about each other, the convergence of cultures, traditions, and original art is a beneficial process that unites peoples on a healthy, creative basis.

We are ready to establish such cooperation with partners and participate in the development of relevant plans for joint events.

Dear participants,

Once again, I would like to thank the organisers for the invitation to participate in this meeting, the opportunity to speak and share views and proposals.

In conclusion, let me express my gratitude to the organizers of the forum for the conditions created for successful and productive work.