On July 5, 2024, in the afternoon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, arrived in Ashgabat on a visit.

At the Ashgabat International Airport, decorated with the flags of Turkmenistan and the UN, the head of the largest authoritative international organization was met by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

At the plane’s steps, children in national costumes presented the distinguished guest with bread and salt and luxurious bouquets of flowers. Walking on the carpet, along which soldiers of the Guard of Honor are lined up on both sides, Antonio Guterres entered the hall of official delegations. Here the head of the UN had a conversation with the National Leader of the Turkmen people.

Welcoming the distinguished guest, the National Leader of the Turkmen people emphasized that expanding cooperation with the United Nations is a strategic priority of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy. As noted, taking an active part in the affairs of the world community, our country will continue to steadily follow the course of positive neutrality, peacefulness and good neighborliness. Particular emphasis was placed on the constructive nature of bilateral contacts within the framework of the implementation of the Framework Program for Cooperation in the Field of Sustainable Development for 2021–2025, which is the basic document for joint work.

Noting the effectiveness of relations with international organizations and structural divisions of the UN, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov expressed sincere gratitude to Antonio Guterres for supporting the creative initiatives of the Turkmen side aimed at establishing and maintaining a climate of mutual understanding and trust on the planet.

In turn, the UN Secretary-General emphasized that he was glad to once again visit Ashgabat. As noted, the United Nations sees Turkmenistan as a reliable and responsible partner and is interested in the further development of the established fruitful cooperation that meets the goals of general well-being and progress. At the same time, the unique international legal status of the permanent neutrality of the Turkmen state was stated, steadily following the chosen peace-loving foreign policy based on the principles of good neighborliness, equality and mutually beneficial partnership with all interested countries.

Continuing, the guest expressed sincere gratitude to the National Leader of the Turkmen people for his great personal contribution to strengthening bilateral cooperation, which in recent years has acquired a new quality and content. At the same time, Antonio Guterres highly appreciated the efforts of the National Leader of the Turkmen people in resolving issues related to the reduction and prevention of statelessness.

Having noted with satisfaction that the strategic partnership covers a wide range of areas – socio-economic and legal spheres, humanitarian areas, education, healthcare, ecology and a number of others – Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty and the head of the UN confirmed their readiness to progressively build up effective relations, the reliable foundation of which is the accumulated in recent years, a wealth of experience in cooperation and its multifaceted potential.

Then the National Leader of the Turkmen people and the UN Secretary General went from the air harbor of the Turkmen capital to the «Oguzkent» hotel.

The visit of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres to Turkmenistan continues.