On June 6, 2022, a telephone conversation took place between the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan R.Meredov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation S.Lavrov.

During the talks, the parties exchanged views on a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation. In particular, the preparations for the high-level bilateral meetings were discussed.

The heads of the foreign policy offices of two countries also discussed issues related to the preparations for the Sixth Caspian Summit which will be held this year in Turkmenistan.

On January 16, 2021, the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov held an Informational briefing in Ashgabat, dedicated to the commissioning of three infrastructure facilities - a power line in the direction of Kerki (Turkmenistan) - Sheberghan (Afghanistan), a 30-kilometer railway section between stations "Aqina-Andkhoy" and the International fiber-optic communication system and transit flows along the route Ymamnazar (Turkmenistan) - Aqina (Afghanistan) and Serhetabat (Turkmenistan) - Torghundi (Afghanistan).     

The event was attended by the ministers, heads and representatives of diplomatic missions and representative offices of international organizations working in Turkmenistan, rectors of the country's universities, chief editors of print media, representatives of national media and journalists of foreign mass media accredited in Turkmenistan.  The Ambassadors of Turkmenistan in foreign countries, as well as more than 30 representatives of foreign mass media from 15 countries of the world took part in the event through videoconferencing.   

The head of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan described these projects as real steps aimed at the consistent involvement of Afghanistan to regional and international economic processes, the integration of this country into the system of continental transport and logistics ties. The importance of their successful implementation was noted in the context of present and prospective bilateral, regional and international cooperation, including the positive impact on the general geo-economic and political situation in the region.

During his speech, R. Meredov emphasized that the construction of infrastructure facilities in Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, in terms of its geo-economic and geopolitical significance, transcend its regional boundaries, and in fact means the formation of a new belt of transport and communications and the energy supplies of the continental level on the Turkmen and Afghan territories, connecting the Central Asia and South Asia with Europe and the Middle East. This, in turn, is the practical embodiment of Turkmenistan’s international initiatives in the field of sustainable development in transport and energy sector, which the country proposes within UN. As examples, the construction of the TAPI gas pipeline, the construction of cross-border railways, bridges, power lines and fiber-optic communications with the participation of neighboring countries and other countries, work on the launching of the Lapis-Lazuli transport corridor along the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey route were presented.

In this context, during the briefing, the importance of cooperation with international organizations, including the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and the European Union, was noted. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan announced the conjugation of multilateral interests, the strive of partners to diversify transport and energy flows, which creates preconditions for joining the mentioned projects of a number of integration associations, such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States. In this regard, R. Meredov stressed that the bilateral Turkmen-Afghan infrastructure projects should be considered as part of more comprehensive plans on the establishment of geo-economic space uniting the states of the region, neighboring countries, other states, and aimed at forming an integrated system of continental cooperation in Eurasia.

The head of the Foreign Ministry confirmed the firm adherence of Turkmenistan to providing comprehensive political, diplomatic and economic support to Afghanistan, which constitutes a single long-term state strategy for Turkmenistan's cooperation with this country. R. Meredov stressed that the basis of such cooperation is the reliance on the historical traditions of friendship and good-neighborliness of the two fraternal peoples, the awareness of the fact that Afghanistan is the most important and integral link of regional and continental stability and security, and the assuredness in the ability of the Afghan people and their leadership to overcome the existing difficulties and achieve peace and harmony in the country, attain its economic prosperity.

The Minister of Energy of Turkmenistan Charymyrat Purchekov, the Counselor of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Turkmenistan Ahmad Tariq Noorzadeh, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Central Asia, Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia Natalya Gherman, Head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat Natalya Drozd, Director of the Resident Office of the Asian Development Bank in Turkmenistan Chang Ching Yu also gave speeches at the briefing.

Speakers noted that these initiatives of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, which were implemented, contribute to an increase in the volume and expansion of the geography of electricity exports, and an increase in the transport and transit potential of the entire region. It was also noted that the commissioning of these projects contributes to the implementation of the transit and transport potential of the two states, their interaction in the energy and communication sectors, integration into the system of modern international economic relations.

At the end of the briefing, Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan answered the questions of the representatives of the news agencies, in particular the “News Central Asia” (Pakistan), “TRT” (Turkey) и “Agence France Press” (France), the faculty members of the Institute of International Relations of the MFA of Turkmenistan, the International University for the Humanities and Development and local press.

We are, however, confident that one day, after the end of the illegitimate regime in Syria, when the country embarks on the course of democratic development, this illegal decision too will be revised and Syria will return to the international legal framework, which is based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In connection with the ongoing new type coronavirus pandemic and the comprehensive measures adopted on the part of the international community on counteraction against this global threat, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan informs about the following.

The systematic work on preventing the entry of this infection on the territory of the country was implemented by Turkmenistan since the first days of the spread of the COVID-19 in the world.

In this regard, a Governmental Commission was established under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan that is authorized to resolve organizational, legal, financial, technical and other issues related to the counteraction against the coronavirus. To coordinate the activities of the relevant state agencies, an Operational Center has been created which consists of the representatives of the Ministry of Healthcare and Medical Industry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Border Service, State Customs Services, State Migration Service and others.

At the first stage of combatting the coronavirus infection, a set of measures on strengthening borderline, customs and migration regulations, as well as the sanitary-epidemiological, phytosanitary and veterinary supervision was adopted.

The system of regular provision of the population with the necessary, free of charge medications contributing to the strengthening of immune system of a human being was arranged.

The clinical examination programme for the population is being carried out and the necessary measures on enhancing the immune status of the people are implemented.

At the same time, Turkmenistan is developing international cooperation aimed at the consolidation of efforts of the world community on combatting the pandemic threat.

Hereby, it is worthwhile to note the active participation of the President of Turkmenistan in the international Summits organized with the aim of counteracting against the pandemic.

Particularly during the Non-Aligned Movement Summit held in May 2020, the President of Turkmenistan set forward the initiative on promoting the scientific diplomacy by proposing the establishment of International Council of Medical Scientists.

The main content of this initiative lies in the establishment of direct contacts between the practicing doctors, scientists in the field of medical science on the following:

firstly, it is proposed to cooperate actively in the area of determining the nature of appearance of the new type coronavirus,

secondly, it is advisable to intensify the work of the scientific medical community in the field of studying the form of onset of the diseases evolved from the new type infection;

thirdly, the need for joint work is highlighted in terms of the search for forms, methods and means of treatment of the acute infectious diseases and their prevention, including the development of vaccines, other special medical substances and many more.

The information on the set of measures carried out by our country and outlined in the letter of the President of Turkmenistan addressed to the Director-General of the World Health Organization stand as one of the significant examples of Turkmenistan’s input in the international efforts on combatting the spread of COVID-19 infection. This letter was distributed as the official document of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

At the same time, on May 28, 2020, the International Forum dedicated to the issues of sustainable development and initiated by Turkmenistan was held. The resulting document of the Forum was also published as the official document of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

In line with the above said, it is pertinent to underline the call of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the Organization’s member-states made on March 30, 2020 on organizing the comprehensive and systematic work on counteraction against the coronavirus threat.

Consequently, the National Preparedness and Response Plan of Turkmenistan for Acute Infectious Disease was adopted in Turkmenistan on the state level on May 22 of current year.

In addition, the Plan of Operational Socio-economic Activities in Turkmenistan on the counteraction against the coronavirus pandemic was affirmed on July 3 of ongoing year.

Currently, jointly with the United Nations’ agencies, Turkmenistan is starting to develop the third National Plan encompassing the humanitarian constituent of the preventive measures implemented by the country against the COVID-19 infection.

Today, the issues of pandemic are subject to professional researches, scientific studies and developments. The scientists of many countries are involved in this work and based on deep scientific analysis they already today attain significant results, having important practical implementation in the process of counteracting against the pandemic.

One of such occasions became the address of 239 scientists from 32 countries of the world with an open letter to the Director-General of the World Health Organization, published on July 4 of current year, which contains information on the results of scientific researches confirming the chances of the new type coronavirus spreading through tiny aerosol droplets retaining in the air for a long time.

Based on the researches of the medical scientific community of Turkmenistan, the Turkmen side supports the above mentioned scientific results.

In this regard, it is pertinent to note that the multiyear researches of the Turkmen doctors, ecologists, specialists in the field of hydrometeorology and other areas of science prove that the substances posing danger for the human health, including the viruses, can be transmitted through air flow in the sensitive ecological environment of Central Asia.

At the same time, air masses forming in the zone of ecological disaster evolved from the drying of the Aral Sea pose an explicit danger and have a severe negative impact on the nature, climate, and human health of those residing in the Aral Sea area and far beyond it.

The dust and salt storms transmitting severely harmful substances from the ground of the dried Aral Sea extend for thousands of kilometers and pose a real danger for the human health.

The position of Turkmenistan on the Aral problems is well known in the world today. During his speech at the Sustainable Development Summit “Rio+20” on June 22, 2012, the President of Turkmenistan underlined that the problem of the Aral Sea currently “reached far beyond the region and gained a truly global scope.”

That is why the establishment of the UN Special Programme for the Aral Sea basin was proposed.

With the aim of practical implementation of the given proposal by the world community in the person of the UN and upon the initiative of Turkmenistan, two Resolutions of the UN General Assembly on “Cooperation between the United Nations and the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea” were adopted which created a firm basis for multilateral collaboration on the resolution of the Aral problems in the UN platform.

Expanding multilateral cooperation on the Aral course, the draft concept of the UN Special Programme for the Aral Sea was presented at the sixth Session of the Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) held in August 2019. Upon the results of consideration of the given document, the draft ESCAP resolution on the issues of further work on the mentioned Special Programme was prepared and is planned for consideration in the framework of the successive session of the Commission in May 2021.

Great attention to the resolution of the Aral Sea problems is also paid in the Regional Environmental Program for Sustainable Development in Central Asia developed in the framework of the chairmanship of Turkmenistan in the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea during the period of 2017-2019 and approved by the resolution of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development of the IFAS in October of 2019 in the city of Nukus of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Based on the above said, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan is underlining the preparedness of the Turkmen side to continuation of wide multifaceted cooperation on the regional and international level on the counteraction against the pandemic, including the issues of detailed studying the impacts of exogenous factors on the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.

With these aims, in the near future Turkmenistan is going to implement a set of further practical measures in the framework of implementation of the agreements attained with the international partners and aimed at strengthening of solidarity on the counteraction against the new type of infection.

Press service of the

MFA of Turkmenistan

In recent days, information about the multimillion economic assistance on the part of the United States of America during the period of 20 years has appeared in a number of international mass media.

The Turkmen side declares that this information is untrue and underlines that the economic cooperation between Turkmenistan and the USA is implemented on the basis of mutual benefit and equal partnership.    

At the same time, it is pertinent to note that over the quarter of a century the state structures and economic entities of Turkmenistan have realized jointly with the US companies 167 projects which costs nearly 3.5 billion American dollars in the field of power industry, civil aviation, aerospace sector, agriculture and a number of other strategically vital fields.

Being the customer for the construction of power industry objects, procurement of aviation, agriculture, construction-and-road-building machinery, including the works and services with the participation of American companies, the Turkmen side has always made the payments in the framework of abovementioned projects from its own resources.

Press Service of the MFA of Turkmenistan

Against the background of the protest rallies that have been taking place in Tbilisi over the past few days, the respective state agencies remain on alert to ensure public order and security in the country. Foreign visitors, journalists and tourists, including those from the Russian Federation have faced no threat in the capital of Georgia.

The police has already opened an investigation into a small incident involving the journalists of the Russian TV Company.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has duly informed the international organizations, including the OSCE on the steps taken by the government to ensure secure environment amid the latest developments in the country.

he so-called visit of the occupation regime’s representatives to Syria – a war-torn country where Russia tries to reinforce its influence at all costs - represents a follow-up to Russia’s and its occupation regimes’ provocative policy with respect to Georgia. 
 
By resorting to such actions, Russia makes futile efforts to legitimize the occupation regimes and the violent redrawing of the borders of the sovereign state.

Diplomatic representatives of Syria, as well as international partners have been contacted and duly informed about the matter.

Due to our government’s intensive work with the international community, the territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders has not been called into question.

We call on all sovereign states to respect the territorial integrity of Georgia and its sovereign rights and to avoid any involvement in planned provocative activities.