On November 15, 2022, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Co-Chairman of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Russian Commission on Economic Cooperation from the Russian side Alexei Overchuk, who arrived in Turkmenistan at the head of a representative delegation of his country.

Expressing gratitude for the time spent, the guest conveyed warm greetings to the head of state from the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin, who addressed the best wishes to all the Turkmen people.

Conveying greetings and best wishes to the leadership of the Russian Federation, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stressed that our country attaches great importance to strengthening the interstate dialogue, which is in the nature of a strategic partnership.

In continuation of the meeting, the current state and prospects of interaction were discussed in the context of the implementation of the agreements reached and plans for the future.

Relations between parliaments have also noticeably intensified. An important stage in their strengthening and filling with new content was the recent official visit of the Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of the Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to the Russian Federation.

Particular attention during the meeting was paid to cooperation in the trade-economic, scientific and technical fields, which are inherently effective. It was noted that in recent years, good dynamics has been demonstrated by mutual trade. Among the priority areas of partnership were the oil and gas sector, industry, transport and logistics, trade and a number of other industries.

In this context, a significant role is assigned to the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Russian Commission, whose activities are aimed at realizing the existing potential of economic partnership and are designed to promote the diversification of productive contacts in various fields.

Along with this, it was emphasized that the traditional humanitarian dialogue is an equally important area of interstate cooperation. Here, a special place is occupied by the established fruitful ties in the field of education, science and culture, as well as in the field of health care.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Alexei Overchuk expressed confidence that the mutually beneficial Turkmen-Russian partnership, based on long-standing ties of friendship, good neighborliness and solid long-term experience, would continue to develop successfully.

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.

The Inter-Parliamentary Forum of Central Asian countries and the Russian Federation is being held in Ashgabat under the chairmanship of the head of the Halk Maslahaty Milli Gengesh of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The event was preceded by a flower-laying ceremony at the Monument to the Constitution of Turkmenistan, after which the participants proceeded to the Congress Center located in the southern part of the Turkmen capital.

As the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko noted on the form, today's forum will lay the foundation for holding regular meetings in such a format.

Matvienko called the main strength of the inter-parliamentary dialogue its ability to create opportunities for interaction and dialogue between representatives of the participating countries. Thanks to this, "we can discuss the most pressing topics and offer solutions that will be really in demand by citizens," said the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.

In order to implement the bilateral agreements reached between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation, as well as to further develop relations between the two countries, the President of Turkmenistan signed a Resolution approving the composition of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Russian Commission for Economic Cooperation from the Turkmen side.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, on behalf of the people and the Government of Turkmenistan, as well as on his own behalf, sent sincere congratulations and best wishes to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and all the friendly people of the country on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation.

“We in Turkmenistan attach special importance to the steady development of relations with Russia,” the head of state noted in his message, emphasizing that over the years of cooperation in almost all areas, positive experience of interaction has been accumulated and good results have been achieved.

Our countries are successfully cooperating not only in a bilateral format, but also within the framework of international structures, as evidenced by the mutual support of international initiatives and proposals put forward within the framework of authoritative organizations of a global and regional scale, the message emphasizes.

The President of Turkmenistan, noting the dynamic development of Turkmen-Russian trade and economic relations, spoke in favor of the need to continue work to promote direct contacts between business circles, as well as to increase the interaction of Government structures in order to fully unlock the existing potential.

Emphasizing that Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation have developed centuries-old historical and humanitarian ties, the Turkmen-Russian cooperation in the cultural, scientific, and educational fields is successfully expanding and strengthening, the head of state confirmed his readiness to further promote the strengthening and development of a strategic partnership that meets the long-term interests of the two peoples.

At the end of his message, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov wished President Vladimir Putin good health, happiness and new successes in his work, and further progress and prosperity to the friendly people of Russia.

Strasbourg, 15.03.2022 - The Russian Federation “committed grave violations of the Council of Europe Statute incompatible with the status of a member State, does not bear its undertakings before the Council of Europe and does not comply with the commitments before it”. Therefore, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) considers that the Russian Federation “can no longer be a member State of the Organisation”.

In the Assembly’s opinion, the Committee of Ministers should request the Russian Federation “to immediately withdraw from the Council of Europe”. If the country does not comply with the request, the Assembly suggests that the Committee of Ministers “determines the immediate possible date” from which the Russian Federation would cease to be a member.

The text, adopted unanimously at the end of an extraordinary plenary session, expresses solidarity with Ukraine, the Ukrainian people and PACE’s Ukrainian members, reaffirming “unwavering support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders”.

The Assembly is deeply disturbed by evidence of serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by the Russian Federation, including attacks against civilian targets and humanitarian corridors, “indiscriminate use of artillery, missiles, and bombing” as well as hostage taking. It notes with shock the “reckless attacks” by Russian armed forces on nuclear facilities in Ukraine. Accordingly, it supports “all efforts aimed at ensuring accountability”.

The parliamentarians applauded the generosity and solidarity shown by neighbouring countries, who continue to take in hundreds of thousands of refugees, most of them women and children, while in the Russian Federation anti-war protests are harshly repressed, freedom of expression and assembly curtailed, and almost all independent news organisations closed.

In the event that the Russian Federation ceases to be a member of the Organisation, the Council of Europe should, according to PACE, envisage initiatives to be able to continue “to support and engage with human rights defenders, democratic forces, free media and independent civil society”.

In view of the participation of Belarus in the aggression, PACE Bureau should “suspend relations” between the Assembly and the country’s authorities in all its activities.

At the end of the seating, PACE President Tiny Kox stated: “we are sad that today we had to ask to expel a State which has been a member of our Organisation for over 25 years, but I’m glad that we dared to do it. There is no place in this Organisation for those who cross red lines.”

Note to editors

On 10 March last, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to consult the Assembly on potential further measures to be taken, after suspending the Russian Federation's rights of representation under Article 8 (*) of the Organisation's Statute on 25 February in response to "serious violations" of its statutory obligations as a member State.

According to Article 8, any member of the Council of Europe which has seriously violated Article 3 may be suspended from its right of representation and requested by the Committee of Ministers to withdraw under Article 7. If such member does not comply with this request, the Committee may decide that it has ceased to be a member of the Council from such date as the Committee may determine.

Session special page:  Ingjerd Schou’s report, adopted text, voting results, Session’s special page (verbatim of the debate, videos, pictures…)

The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Luigi Di Maio, the President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have made the following statement:

“As leaders of the Council of Europe we expressed on several occasions our firm condemnation of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine. This unjustified and unprovoked aggression led to the decision of the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly to initiate the procedure of expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe provided under Article 8 of the Statute.

In this framework, tonight, the Parliamentary Assembly unanimously considered that the Russian Federation should no longer be a member State of the Organisation. The Committee of Ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting tomorrow morning also in the light of today’s notification by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation of the Russian leadership’s decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe.

Through their actions in Ukraine the Russian authorities deprive the Russian people of the benefit of the most advanced human rights protection system in the world, including the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights and our vast convention system.

We express solidarity with the Russian people who, we firmly believe, share democratic values and aspire to remain part of the European family where they belong.

We remain determined to use all means at our disposal to provide support, relief and legal remedies to the Ukrainian people in their fight against the aggressor and to continue the pursuit of peace based on justice and international co-operation.

It is important in these difficult times for Europe to stand strong and united by Ukraine, its authorities and the Ukrainian people."

Strasbourg, 08.03.2022 – The Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chair of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers, Luigi Di Maio, the President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly, Tiny Kox, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have made the following statement:

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the Russian Federation’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, an unjustified military attack of one member State of the Council of Europe against another member State. We reiterate our unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.

On 25 February 2022, following an exchange of views with the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers decided to suspend the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe in accordance with Article 8 of the Statute and reaffirmed the principles to which we are unanimously committed, in particular respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. The Committee also called on the Russian Federation to immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations in Ukraine.

We call on the Russian Federation to implement the interim measures indicated by the European Court of Human Rights on 1 and 4 March 2022. The right to life must be respected and guaranteed. In this respect we call on the Russian Federation to refrain from military attacks against civilians and civilian objects, to ensure the safety of medical establishments, personnel and emergency vehicles, to ensure unimpeded access of the civilian population to safe evacuation routes, healthcare, food and other essential supplies, as well as to ensure rapid and unconstrained passage of humanitarian aid and movement of humanitarian workers.

The Council of Europe also reiterates its call upon Russian authorities to comply with the principles and values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law which our Organisation represents on its own territory. The Russian Federation must guarantee to all persons under its jurisdiction the rights and freedoms enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to liberty and security, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

We once again call on the Russian Federation to stop its aggression, return to the path of diplomacy and fully recommit to European values. We will continue to follow the situation closely and remain committed to taking further measures.”

On December 28, 2021, during the visit of the President of Turkmenistan G.M.Berdimuhamedov to the Russian Federation to participate in an informal meeting of the Leaders of the CIS countries in St. Petersburg, there was a telephone conversation with the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, V.I.Matvienko.

During the conversation, a wide range of issues of bilateral relations in various fields was discussed. Special attention was paid to the progress of inter-parliamentary cooperation between Turkmenistan and Russia. In this context, the President of Turkmenistan and the Speaker of the Upper House of the Russian Parliament discussed the issues related to preparation and holding of the Inter-Parliamentary Forum of Central Asian Countries and the Russian Federation in Ashgabat in May 2022. In the course of the conversation, the President of Turkmenistan also proposed to explore the possibility of holding a meeting of the Dialogue of Women of Central Asia and Russia in Ashgabat at the same time.

It was noted that the format of the Women's Dialogue has a great future at the UN level as a platform for interaction in world politics. In this regard, the interlocutors noted the advisability of preparing a special resolution of the UN General Assembly that would emphasize the significance of the Dialogue in increasing the participation of women in state and international activities.

At the end of the conversation, the President of Turkmenistan warmly congratulated the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on the coming New Year, wishing her good health and great successes in her state activity.

The Court has delivered its judgment in the inter-State case of Georgia v. Russia (II) concerning allegations by the Georgian government that certain administrative practices of the Russian Federation had breached the Convention, in the context of the armed conflict between the two States in August 2008.

In the Court’s view, the events which took place during the active phase of the hostilities (8 to 12 August 2008) did not fall within the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. However, it held that the Russian Federation had exercised “effective control” over South Ossetia, Abkhazia and the “buffer zone” during the period from 12 August to 10 October 2008, the date of the official withdrawal of the Russian troops. After that period, the strong Russian presence and the South Ossetian and Abkhazian authorities’ dependency on the Russian Federation indicated that there had been continued “effective control” over South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Court therefore concluded that the events occurring after the cessation of hostilities – that is, following the ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008 – had fallen within the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation. It found a number of violations of the Convention.

Press release: https://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Press_release_Georgia_Russia_2_ENG.pdf

Source: https://www.echr.coe.int/Pages/home.aspx?p=home&fbclid=IwAR1t7WOPvpgKTCb6r41DRbQvLs43jD_PHL04QrasKorRKVtSmCYUmuDwAO0