The 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States was held in Astana last week. The leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Uzbekistan attended the forum. The National Leader of the Turkmen people, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, was invited to the summit as a guest of honor.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan touched upon a wide range of topical issues of mutual interest for the countries of the region. He emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation among Turkic-speaking states at the political, economic and humanitarian levels. 

The National Leader's speech paid special attention to Turkmenistan's initiatives in the sphere of peace, security and sustainable development. The Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan called for intensifying regional cooperation in such areas as transportation, energy, trade, culture and science.

A number of specific proposals were made to expand humanitarian exchanges on the threshold of celebrating significant cultural dates in Turkmenistan.  

The speech of the National Leader demonstrated the interest of neutral Turkmenistan in further strengthening ties with the Turkic world.

Turkmenistan's foreign policy vector

In his speech at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stressed the importance of strengthening ties between Turkic-speaking countries in the current difficult situation in the international arena.

The National Leader noted that in recent years the system of international relations has been going through a difficult period. There are hotbeds of tension in various regions, which pose a threat to global stability. 

In these conditions, in the opinion of the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, consolidation and coordination of efforts of Turkic-speaking countries are of particular importance. Close interaction within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States will make it possible to develop a coordinated position on key international issues and find optimal ways of their solution.

Turkmenistan's initiative to strengthen global security

In his speech at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov highlighted the issues of strengthening peace and security in the international arena.

The National Leader recalled that at the last session of the UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan put forward an initiative to develop a Strategy for Comprehensive Security. In the opinion of the National Leader, this strategy will contribute to the formation of effective mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution. 

The Strategy, as emphasized by the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, should be based on the principles of preventive diplomacy, the use of the potential of neutrality and the restoration of a culture of dialogue and trust between States.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people expressed confidence that the member countries of the Organization of Turkic States would support this important initiative of Turkmenistan aimed at strengthening global peace and stability.

Prospects for expanding multidimensional cooperation

In his speech, Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the importance of further development of multifaceted ties between the countries of the Turkic world.

According to him, the Turkic-speaking states currently maintain close political contacts, effectively cooperating bilaterally and multilaterally. It is important to further strengthen this interaction.

At the same time, as the National Leader emphasized, it is necessary to intensify cooperation in the trade, economic and humanitarian spheres. There is considerable potential for expanding partnership in such areas as transportation, energy, industry, culture, science and education. 

The realization of this potential meets the fundamental interests of the peoples of Turkic countries and will contribute to their further rapprochement and strengthening of friendly ties.

Development of transportation and logistics infrastructure 

In his speech, the National Leader of the Turkmen people paid special attention to the prospects of expanding cooperation between the Turkic-speaking countries in the field of transportation and logistics.

According to the National Leader, in the current difficult geopolitical conditions it is extremely important to create modern transportation corridors connecting the states of the region.

In recent years, Turkmenistan has initiated several large-scale infrastructure projects with the participation of other Turkic-speaking countries. These are the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey and the Caspian Sea-Black Sea transportation routes.

The Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan proposed to maximize the transit potential of Turkmenistan to increase trade flows between the countries of the region. The realization of these initiatives will contribute to the integration and sustainable development of the Central Asian and Transcaucasian states.

Prospects for energy cooperation

In his speech, the Chairman of the Khalk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan also touched upon the expansion of cooperation in the energy sector between the Turkic-speaking countries.

As the National Leader noted, Turkmenistan has significant hydrocarbon reserves and is successfully implementing a strategy to diversify export supplies of gas and electricity.

Turkmen gas supplies to Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan have already been established. In the future, gas may be transported across the Caspian Sea to European markets. Electricity is also being exported to neighboring Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

In the opinion of the National Leader, regional energy cooperation has great potential. It is necessary to develop a coordinated approach in the form of a roadmap to consolidate the agreements reached.

The Human Dimension of Integration

Addressing the summit of the Organization of Turkic States, the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan emphasized the importance of strengthening humanitarian ties between the fraternal peoples of the Organization of Turkic States.

According to the National Leader, the cultural and humanitarian sphere is traditionally one of the key areas of interaction between the Turkic-speaking countries.

The National Leader proposed to hold joint Days of Culture on a regular basis, as well as to expand activities within the framework of the International Organization of Turkic Culture TURKSOY.

The Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty paid special attention to the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the great Turkmen poet Makhtumkuli Fraghi in 2024. The National Leader invited representatives of all Turkic-speaking countries to Turkmenistan to take part in the planned celebrations.

Scientific and educational cooperation

In his speech, the National Leader of the Turkmen people did not pass by the topic of expanding interaction between the Turkic-speaking countries in science, education, health care and sports.

The National Leader is convinced that there is also considerable potential for strengthening ties in these areas. He proposed to intensify contacts between research institutes and universities of Turkic states.

This will facilitate the exchange of advanced experience and technologies, joint development of innovative projects, and training of highly qualified personnel. Expansion of youth exchanges will also have a positive impact on the process of integration and mutual enrichment of cultures of the Turkic world.

Summing up, we can confidently say that the speech of the National Leader of the Turkmen people Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov at the summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Astana demonstrated the interest of his country in further deepening cooperation with Turkic-speaking states.

In his speech, the National Leader touched upon a wide range of topical issues of mutual interest. Special attention was paid to strengthening peace and security and expanding economic and humanitarian ties.

A number of concrete initiatives and proposals were voiced in such areas as transportation, energy, culture, science and education. This reflects Turkmenistan's desire for closer integration with the Turkic world.

In general, the statement by the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty demonstrated the commitment of neutral Turkmenistan to the course of strengthening friendship and cooperation with all countries of the region, including within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States. This fully meets the fundamental interests of the brotherly peoples.