nCa News and Commentary
Ashgabat, 14 June 2013 (nCa) — Turkmenistan announced Friday (14 Jun) the decision to issue the new version of the national biometric passport to all the citizens including those who are also currently in possession of the Russian passport.
This is a timely and compassionate decision, fully in line with the policy of ‘State for the individual.’
It also highlights the fact that the process of decision-making in Turkmenistan is driven by political maturity.
The foreign ministry of Turkmenistan issued a press release on 14 June 2013 to announce the decision.
Here is the translation of the complete text of the press release:
Press release
As is known, President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov of Turkmenistan, at an expanded session of the cabinet of ministers on 12 April 2013 issued a statement, in which he said, “Each Turkmenistani, regardless of nationality [ethnicity], gender, origin, property and official status, language, religion, political belief, without fail and on time will get the new passport as a citizen of Turkmenistan.”
Therefore, from 17 June 2013, the state migration service of Turkmenistan will start issuing the new version of the biometric passports to the citizens of Turkmenistan, including those in possession of the passport of the Russian Federation.
Turkmenistan, as a responsible member of the international community, reaffirms with this decision its commitment to fulfill its international obligations to respect human rights and freedoms.
Press Service of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan, 14 June 2013, Ashgabat
Here is the Russian version issued by the Foreign Office:
Сообщение для прессы
Как известно, Президент Туркменистана Гурбангулы Бердымухамедов в ходе расширенного заседания Кабинета Министров Туркменистана, состоявшегося 12 апреля 2013 года, выступил с заявлением, где, в частности, подчеркнул, что: «Каждый туркменистанец, независимо от национальности, пола, происхождения, имущественного и должностного положения, языка, отношения к религии и политических убеждений, в обязательном порядке и в установленные сроки получит паспорт гражданина Туркменистана нового образца».
В этой связи, начиная с 17 июня 2013 года, Государственная миграционная служба Туркменистана начинает выдачу биометрических паспортов Туркменистана нового образца гражданам Туркменистана, являющимся одновременно обладателями паспортов Российской Федерации.
Туркменистан, будучи ответственным членом мирового сообщества, данным решением еще раз подтверждает свою приверженность выполнению взятых на себя международных обязательств по соблюдению прав и свобод человека.
Пресс-служба МИД Туркменистана 14 июня 2013 года, гор. Ашхабад.
The complete text of the statement of President Berdymuhamedov referred to in the above quoted press release was carried by nCa on 15 April 2013. Both the Russian and English versions of the statement of President Berdymuhamedov can be found here:
http://newscentralasia.net/2013/04/15/president-of-turkmenistan-every-citizen-will-get-new-passport/
For background information on the issue of Turkmen-Russian dual nationality and the twists and turns this question went through, please see our following reports:
Some aspects of dual nationality debate between Turkmenistan and Russia
English version: http://newscentralasia.net/2013/04/05/some-aspects-of-dual-nationality-debate-between-turkmenistan-and-russia/
The Question of Turkmen-Russian Dual Nationality
English version: http://newscentralasia.net/2013/03/31/the-question-of-turkmen-russian-dual-nationality/
The decision to issue the new passport to all the citizens, including those in possession of the Russian passport, will have wide and far reaching benefits. Some of them are:
- This decision will strengthen the process of national cohesion which is an essential element for the contemporary challenges of national security. Satisfied and happy citizens are the best security of a state.
- It will deny certain foreign players the opportunity to create any discord in the peaceful and peace loving population of Turkmenistan.
- It will provide peace of mind to a big segment of the population. It is a fact that peace of mind is a prerequisite for an individual to be able to make full use of their talent and energies for their own betterment and for the benefit of the society and the country.
- This decision will open doors for enrichment of dialogue with Russia on the basis of quality and mutual benefit.
As independent observers, we would like to mention that the decision by the Turkmen government to issue the new passport to all the citizens, including those holding the Russian passport, reminds us of the way of management and governance of the Seljuk Empire.
Seljuk was the most important empire created by the Turkmen people. Comparatively not much has been written by the historians about the Seljuk Empire but it was the ideological base from which sprang several empires in the east and the west.
The success of the Seljuk emperors was based on the following principles:
- Full rights to the individual citizens to own and transfer personal property
- Security and maintenance of the trade, transportation and communications routes in all directions i.e. to Russia, China, India and Europe
- Education as the basic pillar of relationship between the government and the subjects, leading to the creation of the best university system of its time
- Full support for research activities in science and healthcare
- Full support for creative activities such as literature, poetry etc
- A taxation system that was easy on the self-employed people and entrepreneurs but was enforced without fear or favour
- A wide range of state benefits for the vulnerable segments of the society
- A monitoring network to prevent against bribery, corruption and nepotism
The purpose of mentioning this is not to say that the current government of Turkmenistan is, or should, emulate the ways of the Seljuk, although it would be a matter of pride if it does. Each era and each administration has its own special features and wide ranging comparison is not possible.
However, the point here is the government of Turkmenistan, as a rightful heir to the great Seljuk tradition, is constantly building on its enormous heritage.
Also important to note is that Turkmenistan tries to deliver what it promises and it promises what it intends to deliver. This is a great rarity in the present-day world.