On 7 November 2024, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, UN Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), who arrived in Ashgabat on a working visit.
During the talks, the sides noted the effectiveness of Turkmenistan’s long-term cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan, being a party to the main UN legal instruments on refugees and stateless persons, has achieved unprecedented results in eradicating statelessness.
The parties discussed key areas of joint activities, including within the framework of the Annual Work Plans of the Government of Turkmenistan and the UNHCR Regional Office for Central Asia.
It was also highlighted that on 14 October 2024, at the 75th plenary session of the Executive Committee the UN High Commissioner’s Programme in Geneva, it was announced that Turkmenistan joins the Global Alliance to End Statelessness.
The sides noted with satisfaction the effectiveness of cooperation, noting that Turkmenistan has granted citizenship to more than 32 thousand refugees and stateless persons in recent years.
The interlocutors also discussed possibilities to jointly contribute to the process of unfolding the human potential of refugees, particularly by encouraging the participation of refugee sports teams in various international competitions.
In this regard, the initiative of Turkmenistan to invite for the first time a team of refugee athletes to participate in the Fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games was emphasized. It was noted that Turkmenistan is ready to provide necessary conditions for refugee teams for training and sports camps. This is also in line with the practical implementation of the provisions of the “UN Games” Resolution initiated by Turkmenistan.
During the meeting, the sides reiterated the importance of coordinating efforts in addressing statelessness and refugee issues in the region and beyond, and noted the timeliness of the Regional Ministerial Conference on Statelessness scheduled to be held in Ashgabat tomorrow, 8 November 2024.
