Here is slightly paraphrased translation of the speech by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the CIS Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on 13 September 2023:
Dear Heads of State, Dear members of the delegations!
First of all, let me express my gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich Japarov for organizing this meeting, cordiality, hospitality and excellent conditions for constructive work.
Our meeting today is a continuation of a systematic and multifaceted dialogue within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States on priority issues on the global and regional agendas.
I am sure that the interaction of states in the Commonwealth format is an important factor in ensuring conditions for the successful promotion of cooperation on topical issues.
As you know, Turkmenistan, being an associate member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, participates in its activities in accordance with its neutral status recognized by the United Nations. Our proposals put forward within the framework of the Commonwealth fully correspond to the initiatives of Turkmenistan announced at the Community of Nations. This primarily applies to issues of ensuring peace and security.
Recent international events clearly demonstrate that preserving peace, strengthening security and stability will be the main priorities of world politics.
In this context, today Turkmenistan, taking into account the realities and trends of world development, proposes to start discussing the possibilities of developing a Global Security Strategy under the auspices of the UN. We announced this initiative at the 78th session of the General Assembly.
The strategy, as it seems to us, should include three important areas.
The first is the principles of preventive diplomacy as a tool for preventing and neutralizing conflicts and threats, eliminating the causes that give rise to them.
The second key component of the Strategy is the use of the potential of positive neutrality as a political and legal category, which serves as the most important factor in the peaceful settlement of disputes and contradictions through the use of the entire arsenal of diplomatic means and methods.
In this regard, I would like to note the unique international legal status of Turkmenistan as a neutral State, the positive experience it has gained in peacekeeping mediation and its commitment to non-confrontational resolution of interstate issues.
Thirdly, in the Global Security Strategy must take into account the importance of restoring a culture of trusting dialogue as a guarantee of peace. In this regard, I would like to emphasize the role of the decisions of the UN General Assembly initiated by Turkmenistan on declaring
2021 is the International Year of Peace and Trust and 2023 is the Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace. Time has confirmed the relevance of these resolutions for the present moment.
We consider the development of the Strategy as an important step towards strengthening the atmosphere of understanding and cooperation, including within the framework of the Commonwealth, as well as for solving topical issues of political, economic, environmental, humanitarian nature, for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in general.
I would like to emphasize the activities aimed at further strengthening multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Friends of Neutrality Group, created on our initiative at the UN. We have proposed holding a regular high-level meeting of the Group in Ashgabat in December this year, followed by the organization of an international conference in 2024.
We hope for active cooperation of the CIS member states within the framework of the above-mentioned initiative.
I also believe that the interests of our states will coincide when discussing the possibility of establishing the Institute of Neutrality and Security, which is designed to become an effective platform for conducting analytical research on neutrality and related issues. We are ready to provide all the necessary infrastructure and conditions in Ashgabat for this.
Relevant to the format of cooperation within the Commonwealth are Turkmenistan’s proposals to establish a Meeting/Dialogue on Security in Central Asia under the auspices of the UN.
As the goal of the Meeting, we see the development of approaches and solutions aimed at bringing together and synchronizing the efforts of the Central Asian countries and other interested states, international organizations, financial and economic institutions in ensuring sustainable, conflict-free development of the region.
The Turkmen side invites the Commonwealth states to take part in the first meeting of the Conference in Ashgabat next year.
I consider it necessary to consolidate our further efforts to counter such serious challenges of the modern world as terrorist threat, drug trafficking, human trafficking, penetration of radical and extremist elements into the CIS space, on issues related to cyber threats and other challenges.
Putting forward proposals to find solutions to topical issues, we proceed from the understanding that our initiatives are aimed at preserving lasting and long-term peace and security within the Commonwealth, and also serve as a significant contribution to the promotion of diplomacy of peace and harmony throughout the world.
Dear Heads of State,
We consider the activation of cooperation in the economy to be a priority area of our partnership.
As you know, in 2019, at a meeting of the Council of CIS Heads of State in Ashgabat, a Declaration on strategic economic cooperation of the CIS member states, developed on the initiative of Turkmenistan, was signed, which formed the basis of the CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030.
The strategy provides for close cooperation in the areas of trade, industrial cooperation, transport, energy, investment and other priority sectors.
I am confident that the projects initiated by the Turkmen side to diversify energy, transport and communication components in the context of the development of large-scale infrastructure corridors North–South and East–West are relevant for the Commonwealth states.
In this context, we attach great importance to increasing logistics opportunities with transport links between the Caspian-Black Sea and Asia-Pacific regions, as well as with the Gulf countries and the Middle East.
Dear Heads of State,
Close humanitarian cooperation between the peoples of our countries remains an important and unifying factor of cooperation within the CIS.
We have accumulated solid experience in the field of science and education, tourism and sports. An important aspect is cooperation in the field of cultural exchanges.
Today I am pleased to announce that Turkmenistan supports the initiative to declare the ancient city of Samarkand the cultural capital of the CIS in 2024. I am sure that holding cultural events within the framework of the delegated honorary status of the cultural capital will give a new impetus to the mutual enrichment of the cultures of the peoples of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as serve to strengthen the traditional ties of friendship and good neighborliness.
In conclusion, I would like to confirm Turkmenistan’s firm commitment to further cooperation within the CIS, and express my belief in the great prospects of our cooperation.
I once again express my gratitude to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich for his effective chairmanship in the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2023.
I wish success to the Russian Federation, which will chair the CIS next year, and to President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
I also thank the Secretary General of the CIS Sergey Lebedev for the successful coordination of our work and a great contribution to the fruitful conduct of this meeting. ///nCa, 14 October 2023
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