2025 declared as the ‘International Year of Peace and Trust’ in Turkmenistan

Photo by Derya Soysal (Celebration of the promotion of peace in the world at the Turkmen Embassy in Brussels)

2025 has been declared as the “International Year of Peace and Trust” in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is a Turkic state located in Central Asia. It is bordered by Uzbekistan to the north, Iran to the south, and Afghanistan to the southeast. Turkmenistan declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In the 1990s, Afghanistan was in a critical situation. Therefore, Turkmenistan made a smart move and declared its permanent neutrality. The United Nations recognized this on 12 December, 1995. Since then, Turkmenistan has become a symbol of peace and is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its permanent neutrality this year, writes Derya Soysal, Central Asia expert.

The Embassy of Turkmenistan in Brussels, thanks to the support of Ambassador Sapar Palvanov and diplomat Maral Rahymova, preparatifs are organized for the year 2025. A speech was given by Derya Soysal, Central Asia expert and graduate of the Free University of Brussels, highlighting Turkmenistan’s significant achievements in ensuring stability in the region and world peace.

Turkmenistan has become an exemplary country in international relations with its policy of permanent neutrality. December 12 is celebrated as “Neutrality Day” in Turkmenistan, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the United Nations’ official recognition of this Central Asian country’s neutral status. This neutrality status is tightly integrated into Turkmenistan’s constitutional order. For example, Article 2 of the Constitution states, “The permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan forms the basis of its national and foreign policy.” Additionally, Article 68 states that the president is “the guarantor of Turkmenistan’s independence and permanent neutrality status”.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has highlighted Turkmenistan’s significant role in international relations, praising the country’s contributions, especially in cooperation with the UN and regional integration. Guterres expressed his satisfaction with the deepening cooperation among Central Asian countries and noted that Turkmenistan plays a central role in this process. He also mentioned that Turkmenistan has made significant progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and that the UN will continue to support the country’s development processes.

Turkmenistan adopted the concept of neutrality as a fundamental element of its political culture and used it as a strategic tool both in the process of breaking away from Russian influence and in its integration into the international community as a post-Soviet state.

Although neutrality is generally a policy adopted to avoid wars, Turkmenistan stands out as the only country to choose this status during peacetime. This policy has been shaped in line with the country’s goals of strengthening its national identity and making a positive contribution to the international community. Former Turkmenistan leader Saparmurat Niyazov defined the main principles of the neutrality policy as follows:

• The sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states must be preserved.
• There should be no interference in the internal affairs of other states.
• The use of force in interstate conflicts should be prevented.
• The role of the UN in maintaining global peace should be recognized.
• National interests should be fairly protected…

Turkmenistan’s neutrality policy has been appreciated by the international community with many concrete examples, such as its mediation role in the Tajikistan civil war and its contribution to providing humanitarian aid corridors in Afghanistan. According to former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the country has been “a turning point in the process of producing peaceful solutions”.

In conclusion, Turkmenistan’s neutrality policy has allowed the country to effectively defend its national, regional, and global interests and has played an important role in maintaining stability in Central Asia. The neutrality status has further strengthened the country’s constructive role in regional peace, international cooperation, and economic development. Thanks to this policy, Turkmenistan is recognized as a strong advocate of peace and cooperation on the world stage.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

On UN Day the President of Turkmenistan meets with United Nations Secretary-General | NEW YORK, UN – PERMANENT MISSION OF TURKMENISTAN TO THE UN. (s. d.). Home | NEW YORK, UN – PERMANENT MISSION OF TURKMENISTAN TO THE UN. https://un.mission.gov.tm/news/138621

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