OSCE supports international media forum dedicated to 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality
On 17 April 2020, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan organized an international media forum dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.
The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat supported the forum by inviting OSCE experts from Belarus and the Netherlands to deliver presentations during the event held in the format of a teleconference.
The media forum brought together representatives of Turkmenistan’s print, broadcast and online media, key ministries, universities and public organizations, as well as representatives of fifty news agencies from twenty countries.
The participants stressed the importance of Turkmenistan’s neutrality status and the country’s dedicated efforts aimed at promoting peace and security through constructive dialogue.
Sami Faltas, independent consultant on democratization and security sector reform in the Netherlands, talked about countries with neutral status in Europe and the important role of regional co-operation. He emphasized that Turkmenistan successfully combines positive neutrality with its foreign policy based on the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect.
Victor Shadursky, Dean of the Department of International Relations of the Belarus State University, focused on the substantive contribution of neutral Turkmenistan in addressing regional issues. He stressed the relevance of Turkmenistan’s international initiatives in various areas, and the efforts aimed at ensuring stability in the Central Asian region. This includes strengthening environmental, energy and transport security, and promoting water diplomacy.
The Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan showed a video highlighting the achievements of Turkmenistan’s neutrality policy over the last 25 years.
The support was provided within the framework of the Centre’s project “Promoting OSCE early warning instruments within the context of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality policy”.