Dear Mr. Secretary General!
Dear Mr. President!
First of all, allow me to congratulate Mr. Abdulla Shahid upon his election for the Presidency of the 76th session of the General Assembly and wish him success in this responsible position. I would like to assure you that Turkmenistan will lend you, Mr. Shahid every assistance and support.
We would like to kindly ask Mr. Volkan Bozkir to accept our deepest gratitude for his able and effective work in the position of the President of the 75th session.
Distinguished participants!
The current state of global realities, the nature and trends of political, economic, social processes objectively require closer and coordinated cooperation among countries and major international organizations to achieve a common main goal - to ensure global peace and security, conditions for further sustainable development and progress, preservation of legal and institutional basis laid in the foundation of the modern world order.
The degree of effectiveness in such cooperation will largely depend on whether a common denominator can be found between national interests and global goals and priorities.
Will we as the members of the world community have enough responsibility, foresight, the political will to overcome disagreements, tactical divergences, and differences in approaches and assessments, to focus on achieving strategic, long-term development objectives, resolving the most acute global problems such as environmental, energy, food, issues regarding equitable distribution of water resources, alleviating poverty, protection from natural disasters, countering terrorism, drug-related threats, and other challenges?
This fully applies to the problem of combating dangerous novel infection and mitigating socio-economic consequences caused by its spread. To be honest, the world community efforts in this direction are still insufficient. Moreover, the pandemic has exposed serious systemic failures in the international response to this challenge.
We firmly believe that when only all UN member-states and UN institutions unite, they may create conditions for success in combating a common threat.
We underline that the World Health Organization is a major platform for multilateral dialogue to develop consolidated and mutually agreed responses to common challenges in the field of global healthcare.
Turkmenistan will continue to promote its previously echoed initiatives aimed at activating multilateral cooperation in science diplomacy. In particular, we propose to consider issues on instituting the following international and regional instruments during the 76th session. The World Health Organization Special Program for studying the genome of coronavirus; Multilateral mechanism of the World Health Organization to fight against pneumonia; Methodological center of the World Health Organization to treat and prevent acute infections; the Central Asian regional center for epidemiology, virology and bacteriology.
In the context of mitigating the negative economic implications of a pandemic, Turkmenistan considers that it is necessary to strengthen the UN activity in certain areas. In particular, we should actively work on recovering and strengthening resilience of the international transport system in the face of emergencies. There is a good foundation for that. It is the UN General Assembly Resolution “Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve stable and reliable international transport for sustainable development during and after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic” adopted at the initiative of Turkmenistan on July 29, 2021.
Distinguished participants!
The past period was marked by serious problems in terms of ensuring global peace and security, exacerbating local and regional conflicts.
Under such circumstances, Turkmenistan, as a responsible member of the world community will continue to consistently assist in resolving international issues by only peaceful, political, and diplomatic means based on principles and norms of the UN Charter, fundamental Conventions, and other international documents.
In this respect, we plan to take several practical steps for the realization of the neutrality potential as an effective peacemaking instrument and reaching constructive consensus decisions, implementing the provisions of the UN General Assembly Resolution “The Role and Importance of a Policy of Neutrality in Maintaining and Strengthening International Peace, Security and Sustainable Development” adopted at the initiative of Turkmenistan on December 7, 2020.
As is known, this year is declared as a year of peace and trust by the UN General Assembly. Being an initiator of this decision, Turkmenistan has undertaken enormous international work aimed at strengthening peace culture and respectful dialogue, addressing present trust deficit in international relations. Turkmenistan plans to summon the International conference “The policy of peace and trust is the foundation of international security, stability, and development” in December this year by finalizing events in the year of peace and trust.
We invite the UN member-states and international organizations to take an active part in this event.
We consider that the subject of trust and dialogue culture initiated this year should be the focus of global attention and become permanent element of the UN strategic agenda. In this context, Turkmenistan proposes draft of General Assembly Resolution “Strengthening regional and international cooperation aimed at ensuring peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region” to develop dialogue mechanisms in Central Asia. We think that considering and adopting this document will promote the practical implementation of international initiatives by the Central Asian countries stipulated in the outcome document of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of States of Central Asia held on August 6, 2021, in Turkmenistan.
Concurrently, Turkmenistan reiterates its proposal to create the zone of peace, trust, and cooperation in “Central Asia - Caspian region”, acknowledging interconnectedness and inseparability of issues related to maintaining peace, security, and sustainable development in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea basin. We consider this model as a platform for promoting initiatives to strengthen multilateral cooperation for global peace and development.
Dear Mr. President!
Distinguished participants!
The whole world is following events in Afghanistan today. The situation is not easy there, emerging institutions of power and society are extremely fragile. And therefore, when interpreting and assessing the situation in this country, both words and deeds require extreme consistency, balance, and responsibility.
Afghan realities have changed. The ideological preferences, old grievances, phobias, and stereotypes should be discarded, first and foremost Afghan people dreaming of a peaceful and calm life, tired of wars and turmoil should be considered when approaches to realities are formulated.
Turkmenistan always puts the principles of friendship and good neighborliness into basis, as well as the historical, cultural and civilizational commonality of the peoples of the two countries whilst developing relations with Afghanistan.
Our country has been and remains deeply interested in the political stability and security in Afghanistan, the well-being and unity of the fraternal Afghan people. At the same time, we are firm adherents of resolving contradictions by peaceful, political and diplomatic means.
We stand for speedy normalization of the situation in Afghanistan and express hope that emerging state institutions will work effectively for the benefit and interests of all Afghan people.
Turkmenistan, for its part, will provide comprehensive economic and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as before. We are committed to finalizing ongoing projects and implement new infrastructure projects in the energy, transport, and communications fields with Afghan participation. We view this as an important condition for economic and social recovery in Afghanistan and its equitable and mutually beneficial integration to world economic relations.
The readiness of Turkmenistan as a neighboring and neutral state to promote the establishment of appropriate contacts and the creation of conditions for the early establishment of peace, harmony, and unity in Afghanistan remains unchanged.
Distinguished participants!
During this session, Turkmenistan looks forward to continuing broad dialogue on achieving Sustainable Development Goals. In our view, effective collaboration and practical compatibility of the global, regional, and national instruments for SDG implementation have become a major priority today.
We stand for the active promotion of adequate financing of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, we think it is necessary to organize another international conference on development financing very soon.
We will continue to pay and draw the world community’s unflagging attention to issues on mitigating the consequences of an ecological catastrophe of the Aral Sea. Turkmenistan plans to achieve the goal of establishing the UN Special Program for the Aral Sea basin with its partners from the region during the upcoming session.
The humanitarian issue remains among priorities on the cooperation agenda of Turkmenistan with the UN.
As a member of the UN Commission for Social Development for 2021-2025, Turkmenistan intends to promote strengthening its role as a main coordinating body for the development of coordinated approaches and actions in global issues of social protection, youth affairs, strengthening the role of the traditional family and other areas.
Migration policy will remain an invariably important area for cooperation between Turkmenistan and the UN. Being the permanent member of the Executive Committee of the Program of the High Commissioner for Refugees and having extensive experience in dealing with such complex humanitarian situations, Turkmenistan stands ready to contribute to solving these global issues.
Distinguished participants!
We are united by common thoughts and hopes, worries and threats. The more valuable is the experience gained in solving complex problems jointly, whether it is on an international scale or at the regional and national levels.
Turkmenistan is ready to share it, will seek together with partners new approaches and ways to overcome challenges facing the UN.
We express our firm commitment to cooperate with the United Nations, actively participate in and contribute to its political and diplomatic efforts to preserve and strengthen the existing architecture of global security, overcome the consequences of the pandemic, and implement plans and programs in the economic, social, environmental, humanitarian and other fields.
The partnership with the United Nations for Turkmenistan was and remains a strategic priority, ideological and practical foundation for all our activities in the international arena.
Thank you for your attention.
