ANKARA
Turkmenistan's ambassador to Turkey said Wednesday that since the country's independence, its foreign policy has been based on the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, justice and equality.
Speaking at a virtual meeting held by the Turkmenistan Embassy on the occasion of the country’s 30th anniversary of independence, Ishanguly Amanlyev said his country’s foreign policy, which is based on neutrality, has been hailed by the UN.
"The foreign policy pursued by our country based on the principles of neutrality has been appreciated by the international community, especially by the UN. As of today, Turkmenistan has diplomatic relations with 149 states of the world and is a member of approximately 50 international organizations," he noted.
Turkmenistan is also a party to more than 150 international conventions, agreements and multilateral documents, Amanlyev said, adding prioritizing relations with international organizations is part of the country's foreign policy.
Touching on the country's economic situation and development process, the ambassador said that after independence, large-scale work was carried out in Turkmenistan to build a modern state with a constantly developing economy and to establish a fair civil society.
"Using the natural resources and potential of the country, a wide-ranging production infrastructure was established," Amanlyev said, adding that thanks to the work done for its citizens, social conditions in accordance with world standards were implemented.
Approximately 2,500 large projects costing billions of dollars are currently being built in the country such as the Ashgabat large residential complex project and the building of new settlements in various parts of the country, he noted.
Mentioning the country's policy on transportation, he said Turkmenistan's work in the transportation field is carried out in two stages -- the development of the domestic transportation infrastructure and the opening and implementation of new transportation routes in the regional and international context.
'Turkmenistan contributes to peace in region'
"Turkmenistan served to its own people with the peaceful works it has done in the Eurasia region. It transmitted natural resources to neighboring countries for the sake of peace and contributed to the welfare of those countries," said Halil Avci, head of the Turkey-Turkmenistan Business Council.
Reiterating that Turkmenistan's contribution to peace and its neutral policy is appreciated by the UN, he stated that the fact that Turkmen gas will go to India and Pakistan via Afghanistan will contribute greatly to world peace and world welfare.
Reminding that Turkey was the first country to recognize Turkmenistan's independence and appoint an ambassador there, Avci noted that Ankara and Ashgabat have always been brotherly and friendly countries.
With each passing day, this friendship and brotherly relationship continues to develop, he added.
During his address, Avci also expressed his satisfaction over the designation of 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
In 1992, Turkmenistan declared its neutrality as part of its foreign policy at the Helsinki summit of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and in 1995, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality resolution.
In the 106th plenary meeting on Sept. 12, 2019, the General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust.
