On June 19, 2020, a briefing was held in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan on the topic "Review of the current situation on combating the coronavirus pandemic infection".
The briefing was attended by the heads and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health and Medical Industry, and other relevant departments of Turkmenistan, as well as heads of diplomatic missions and representatives of international organizations accredited in the country, local and accredited journalists of foreign media. Also, representatives of the media of a number of foreign countries took part in the event through video conferencing.
During his speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R. Meredov emphasized that international cooperation in the field of health is actively continuing. A special coordinating role in this context is played by the UN and its specialized organizations, in particular WHO. It was noted that Turkmenistan, together with the Country Office of the World Health Organization in Turkmenistan, was preparing to host the WHO expert mission in early July of this year. The Minister also spoke about important events on the political and diplomatic line of the country. In particular, the results of meetings in the format of “European Union-Central Asia” were announced, through the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the OSCE.
Speaking about comprehensive preventive measures for epidemiological surveillance and seasonal disease control, the Minister of Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan N. Amannepesov noted that the institutions and services of the Ministry of Health and MP of Turkmenistan, and, in particular, the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Service, are undertaking large-scale preventive measures to protect the country from the importation and spread of this infection. The Minister noted that our country is actively interacting with leading global clinical centers and doctors to exchange knowledge and experience in the fight against the spread of especially dangerous infectious and non-communicable diseases.
During her speech, Paulina Karwowska, Head of the Country Office of the World Health Organization, expressed gratitude to the Government of Turkmenistan for their contribution to the common efforts to counteract the spread of a new type of coronavirus infection and the full assistance of the state in organizing the visit of the WHO Expert Mission to Turkmenistan early next month. At the same time, the WHO representative noted that Turkmenistan, adhering to the recommendations of reputable international organizations, has made significant progress in promoting its health policy. She added that Turkmenistan continues to actively collaborate with the World Health Organization in the framework of universal immunization programs and projects, which has proved its effectiveness in the prevention and control of especially dangerous infectious diseases.
Also, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Asia, the Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia N. Gherman, the UN Resident Coordinator in Turkmenistan E. Panova, and the Head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat N. Drozd in their speeches praised the readiness and the desire of the Turkmen side for an active and constructive partnership with all interested parties in the widest range of areas in the fight against the pandemic.
