Today, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan hosted an international conference dedicated to the adoption of the Resolution “United Nations Friendship Games” by the UN General Assembly on the initiative of our country.

It was attended by the heads and representatives of the country’s Foreign Ministry, diplomatic missions accredited in Turkmenistan, public organizations, the media, university teachers and students, as well as athletes.

On the eve of the conference, an exhibition dedicated to the country’s sporting achievements, the milestones achieved in the development of the mass physical culture and health movement was organized here.

As is known, the Resolution “United Nations Friendship Games”, initiated by Turkmenistan and unanimously supported by the UN member states, was adopted on September 6 of this year at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. The co-authorship of 87 states has become another international success of the foreign policy of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who consistently implements the initiatives of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

As a result of the reforms carried out in the field of sports, Turkmenistan has become a center for holding international competitions. Vivid evidence of this are the 5th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, the Amul-Khazar International Rally, the World Weightlifting and Kurash Wrestling Championships, as well as international competitions in hockey and tennis.

These major sporting events have become an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the whole world that Turkmenistan intends to strengthen international cooperation, friendship and mutual understanding, and encourage the development of the mass sports movement.

In this important matter, our country combines high humanistic principles, which, along with the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, is directly related to the achievement of the goals of the Olympic movement. 

As noted during the conference, Turkmenistan’s initiatives to develop mass physical culture movement, the introduction of a healthy lifestyle in society, and the development of sports diplomacy are widely supported by the international community. One of the evidences of this is the unanimous adoption of the Resolution “Integration of mass cycling into public transport systems to achieve sustainable development” at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on the proposal of Turkmenistan, as well as the announcement of Ashgabat as “The City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth” at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government. Along with this, it should be noted that Turkmenistan was elected as a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Culture and Sport for 2023-2027. 

It was emphasized that Turkmenistan, which has the legal status of neutrality, actively cooperates with specialized UN agencies and other international organizations in the areas of public health protection, popularization of healthy lifestyle principles, and the effective use of the potential of sports diplomacy to unite people in the interests of strengthening peace and prosperity. 

The participants of the international conference expressed their sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, who is promoting effective initiatives in the name of the triumph of peace and friendship on the planet.