Security priorities are the basis of our Homeland`s neutrality

ArmInfo.The principle of neutrality which forms the foundation of both domestic and foreign policy of our country and is enshrined in its Basic Law, over the years of independent development of Turkmenistan has firmly established itself in world politics and diplomacy as an effective and promising model of international cooperation.

That is why, in its relations with the outside world, Turkmenistan actively uses the economic, environmental, humanitarian and other components of its foreign policy. Moreover, the head of our state, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, has consistently put forward more and more large-scale foreign policy initiatives aimed at strengthening peace, security and sustainable development, and they are widely recognized in the world community, making an increasingly significant contribution to solving regional and global problems facing before humanity.

Let me give you an example: the complex processes taking place in the world in recent years are undoubtedly leading to an increase in tension and a decrease in the level of trust between states. It is known that Turkmenistan has always proceeded and proceeds from the counter productiveness of resolving disputes by force, their futility and constantly advocates the solution of all issues by political and diplomatic means. That is why, on the initiative of Turkmenistan, the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the Resolution "2021 - International Year of Peace and Trust". The resolution was co-sponsored by 73 countries of the world. The adoption of this important document allowed our country to demonstrate its efforts to the whole world in the name of the triumph of peace and friendship. On the other hand, the implementation by the UN member states of this important resolution has contributed and continues to promote confidence-building between states and peoples.

Along with preserving peace, ensuring sustainable development, strengthening security in general is one of the main tasks of the foreign policy of our state. At the same time, the ongoing extensive cooperation to ensure security cannot be imagined without addressing issues such as non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, disarmament and arms control. Therefore, from the first days of its sacred independence and membership in the UN, Turkmenistan has been taking specific measures to effectively assist the international community in resolving disarmament issues and putting forward relevant initiatives of international importance on these issues. As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasizes: “We are convinced: the fewer weapons there are in the world, the more stable and calm the trust and understanding will be between countries and peoples”.

I would like to note that disarmament is understood as a system of measures, the implementation of which should lead to the complete destruction or significant reduction in the means of waging war and the creation of prerequisites for eliminating the threat of its emergence. The ultimate goal of disarmament means the abolition of armed forces by all countries, closure of military institutions by them, the cessation of production and the destruction of all types of weapons, leaving at the disposal of states limited forces to ensure internal order under the necessary conditions.

At present, disarmament issues are being discussed and resolved within the framework of a number of international forums. However, the leading role in this matter is assigned to the United Nations and its disarmament mechanism. This mechanism was created on the basis of the UN Charter and the Resolutions of the UN General Assembly and allows the member states to carry out effective work on disarmament.

Turkmenistan actively cooperates with those institutions that are part of the structure of this mechanism, and, above all, effectively participates in the work of the Committee on Disarmament and International Security (First Committee). This Committee meets during the year, when the annual session of the UN General Assembly is held, and considers all issues that are on the agenda of the General Assembly on disarmament. It should be noted that both the General Assembly itself and the Committee on Disarmament and International Security are considering general principles of disarmament and arms regulation.

Archival materials convincingly testify to the active participation of neutral Turkmenistan in the work of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly. Thus, for the first time at the 48th session of the UN General Assembly, the Resolution "Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty" was adopted by consensus, to which Turkmenistan joined also. Even earlier, at the 47th session of the UN General Assembly, a Resolution was adopted on the draft "Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction." The delegation of Turkmenistan not only supported this resolution, but also co-sponsored it.

Our country is also in favor of banning anti-personnel mines. The 48th session of the UN General Assembly on this important issue adopted two Resolutions: "Moratorium on the export of anti-personnel land mines" and "Assistance in mine clearance". The delegation of Turkmenistan joined in the consensus adoption of both projects.

The global and regional approaches to disarmament are complementary and must therefore be applied simultaneously. Our delegation participated in the adoption of a number of other resolutions on disarmament and international security, and also co-sponsored many draft resolutions, including such as "Regional disarmament", "Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels."

In the second half of the first decade of this century, the activities of Turkmenistan on disarmament issues significantly intensified. This is evidenced by the proposal that Turkmenistan put forward at the 64th session of the UN General Assembly (2009) to hold an international conference on disarmament in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region in Ashgabat with the assistance of the UN. Our country also expressed its readiness to act as the organizer of this international conference.

The proposal of Turkmenistan to hold an international forum on disarmament in the above-mentioned regions was very timely. The fact is that from about the second half of the last decade of the last century, Central Asia and the Caspian basin area began to be considered as an integral historical and geographical space, where a strategic center of global importance began to form, which included the most important energy, transport and communication hubs. And, in the opinion of Turkmenistan, it is here that the disarmament topic should become the most important direction of the UN's activity.

And the holding on 24 June 2010 in Ashgabat, under the auspices of the UN, of an international conference on disarmament in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region to promote disarmament processes, consolidate peace and ensure regional and international security, was of great political and practical importance. Speaking at the conference, the representative of Turkmenistan informed about the position of his state on the importance of filling the existing set of instruments with new documents and forms of multilateral cooperation. Turkmenistan also considered it expedient for conducting political negotiations in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea Basin region to create a permanent basis for promoting disarmament processes. This proposal was of great importance for ensuring regional and international security in general.

Nuclear-free zones are created to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime. They exist both on state territories and on the international territory. Turkmenistan supports the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in various parts of the world, considering this measure to be real and useful. In particular, the resolution calling for the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia was adopted at the 49th session of the UN General Assembly by 156 votes, including by Turkmenistan.

A big step towards strengthening the system of disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons in the Central Asian region was the Agreement signed on 8 September 2006 in the city of Semipalatinsk between Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to create a nuclear-weapon-free zone.

Turkmenistan is also an active participant in numerous conventions prohibiting weapons of mass destruction, including: the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968); The UN Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction (1972); The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction (1993); The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1996); International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005).

In connection with security issues, we also note the special attention of Turkmenistan to the work of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. First of all, this attention is explained by the fact that the priority areas of this Center's work are not only energy security, the fight against international terrorism, illegal drug trafficking, organized crime and other forms of dangers and challenges of our time, but also issues of general disarmament. Further, the foreign policy activities of neutral Turkmenistan and the Regional Center mutually complement and enrich each other. Of particular importance is the use of the experience of neutral Turkmenistan in combining the principles of neutrality and preventive diplomacy in modern conditions in strengthening confidence between states and peoples, resolving conflict issues by peaceful, diplomatic means.

Amangeldi Rahmanov,

Head of the Department of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor.