Aksoltan Atayeva, Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the United Nations
A high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of Neutrality for Peace, Security and Sustainable Development was held in Ashgabat as part of the celebration of the International Day of Neutrality. The annual meetings demonstrate the development of the platform for peaceful and constructive dialogue based on the key principles of neutrality, established more than three years ago.
We are actually convinced of the relevance of this format and its practical significance at the current largely critical stage in the development of international relations. And we express our sincere gratitude to all countries and international organizations that consistently support the Group’s activities, promote the principles and goals enshrined in its Joint Declaration of 2022, and congratulate everyone on the International Day of Neutrality.
We live in a difficult time when the world is facing unprecedented challenges, numerous conflicts and local wars against the background of political, environmental and energy crises, resulting in human suffering. However, it is impossible to imagine a stable universal model of economic development without appropriate long-term geopolitical guarantees of stability and security, based on peace and trust. This axiom has been and remains relevant, being the main core of the formation and development of the concept of neutrality, its institutional framework in the format of our Group of Friends, and the consolidation of a model of peaceful, non-confrontational promotion of national interests.
The addition of members from Africa and the Middle East reaffirms the global significance and practical value of the Friends of Neutrality Group. We sincerely welcome Uganda, Burkina Faso, Iran and Syria as members and reliable partners of the Group of Friends.
It is important to note that the Group of Friends is a result-oriented, active and dynamic association that does not support the approaches often observed in the international arena of creating a “Group for the sake of a Group”. This year, declared by the UN General Assembly as the International Year of Dialogue as a Guarantee of Peace, has clearly shown the kinetic energy of the multilateral Neutrality Group, which is closely involved in the implementation of the international campaign to strengthen peace and confidence within the framework of this year’s Roadmap.
The joint achievements of this year undoubtedly include the holding of debates by the UN General Assembly on the establishment of a Zone of Peace, Trust and Cooperation in Central Asia; the adoption of a Resolution by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation “On the role of the policy of neutrality in maintaining and strengthening international peace, security and sustainable development in the OIC region and in the world”; the holding of an International Youth Forum “Dialogue is a guarantee of peace”; establishment of the Youth Forum of Central Asian Countries; Adoption of Resolutions of the UN General Assembly on ensuring global energy security and transport sustainability on the initiative of Turkmenistan.
We are grateful to all UN member states, and in particular to the members of the Friends of Neutrality Group, for their support in promoting and implementing these initiatives aimed at developing international peacekeeping and peace-building potential, strengthening preventive diplomacy tools, and expanding the practice of applying the policy of neutrality at the global and regional levels.
The annual meetings of the Group provide a good opportunity for joint planning of further steps to enhance our format of interaction. In this regard, we came up with proposals at the meeting that could be implemented with active participation during the coming year.
First, 2025 marks the first 5-year anniversary of the creation of the Friends of Neutrality Group and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality. In this regard, we proposed to work together on the implementation of the proposal previously voiced by Turkmenistan on the establishment of the Institute of Neutrality and Security.
Secondly, in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution adopted on the initiative of Turkmenistan on 28 July 2022, the UN GA will consider declaring 2025 the Year of Peace and Trust during the next 79th session. We intend to prepare a draft of the relevant Resolution of the General Assembly and the Roadmap of the International Year with an emphasis on a broad multilateral dialogue on the practical implementation of the principles of neutrality in conflict prevention, elimination of their causes and consequences, and the development of multilateral cooperation based on the ideals of peace, mutual respect and understanding. We rely on the support of these initiatives and the upcoming joint work on their implementation.
There is confidence that the recent meeting of the Group of Friends of Neutrality will give a new impetus to the further development and expansion of the Group of Friends of Neutrality in the name of peace, security and sustainable development. Turkmenistan will continue to demonstrate its commitment to its international legal status, in fact confirming that neutrality, peacefulness and good neighborliness form the basis of its foreign policy. ///originally published by Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, 13 December 2023