The year 2023 was a record year for the number of visits to Turkmenistan by high-ranking OSCE representatives, writes Ambassador John McGregor, head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, in his congratulatory article in Turkmen newspapers.
The Ambassador shared the highlights of another successful year of cooperation between the Government of Turkmenistan and the OSCE in Ashgabat.
Military-political dimension
In 2023, in the military-political dimension, the extrabudgetary multi-donor project “Strengthening Border Service Capacities in Turkmenistan”, remained the Center’s flagship project.
In addition, together with the EU Border Management Program in Central Asia, known as BOMCA, national trainers were trained on the security of travel documents.
The OSCE Center placed further emphasis on cybersecurity by strengthening its support for the newly established Center of Excellence in Cybersecurity, opened at the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics in Ashgabat.
Economic and environmental dimension
Speaking about economic and environmental activities in 2023, Ambassador McGregor noted that the Center has stepped up support for Turkmenistan in strengthening the principles of good governance, promoting economic ties and facilitating WTO accession.
Cooperation in the field of renewable energy, good environmental management and international standards in the oil and gas sector continued.
In 2023, a number of initiatives were also launched in such areas as the development of the capital market and small and medium-sized businesses, climate change and reducing methane emissions.
Human dimension
As part of our activities in the field of the human dimension, the Center continued to provide support for further strengthening the capacity of the Ombudsman Institution, we have diversified our work to promote freedom and media development, the Ambassador said.
The OSCE Center has moved to a new building
“I am particularly pleased to note that our move to a new facility was a lanmark event in 2023,” Ambassador McGregor said, thanking the Government of Turkmenistan for providing one of the best OSCE facilities and the high standards that Turkmenistan has set.
Record number of OSCE representatives’ visits to Turkmenistan
In 2023, the OSCE 2023 Chairman-in-Office, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Northern Macedonia Bujar Osmani and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid visited Ashgabat.
In 2023, the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the Director of the Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE and the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly also visited.
“It is obvious that such visits greatly contribute to an increased understanding of trust and partnership. I know that the discussions during these visits had a positive impact on the OSCE as a whole,” McGregor stressed.
Plans for 2024
Speaking about the plans for 2024, Ambassador John McGregor noted that the OSCE Center continues to work on the basis of OSCE commitments and national priorities of Turkmenistan.
“Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of our Center, and it is clear that the year will be especially eventful and interesting, full of new and interesting events. Moreover, we are also approaching the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Helsinki Final Act, the founding Act of the OSCE,” said the head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat. ///nCa, 28 December 2023