On the margins of his working visit to the United States of America, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov took part in the first day of the plenary meeting of the high level 80th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization and delivered a speech.

Turkmenistan, being recognised by the Community of the Nations as a neutral state, takes on the world scene a key position as supporter of peace, stability and mutual understanding. Neutrality - the main doctrine, which covers all spheres of the home and foreign policy of our country.

… in the morning, the motorcade of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov arrived in the headquarters of the United Nations Organization.

There, the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres and other officials warmly welcomed the head of the state. Then, the ceremony of joint photographing took place.

The peace-making role of Turkmenistan finds due expression in the international initiatives aimed at prevention and solution of conflicts by exclusively diplomatic means. Facilitating the strengthening of trust and constructive partnership, our fatherland serves as a platform for establishment of the dialogue between different countries and regions.

At the same time, Turkmenistan actively sets forward undertakings in the field of sustainable development, ecological safety and humanitarian cooperation, which as a whole form the main component of its peace-making efforts. Participation of our country in ecological programs of the United Nations, in particular, the one on combat of climate change, shows its responsible approach to achievement of the goals planned in them and readiness to promote the solution of the issues, directly concerning the global stability and well-being.

Then, the plenary session started, participants took the floor. 

President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov first of all congratulated participants of the session on the beginning of the 80th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization and it fruitful work.

The head of the state also congratulated Ms. Annalena Baerbock with her election to the post of the President of the General Assembly and wished her successes.

At the same time, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov thanked Ambassador Philemon Young for effective management of the activity of the General Assembly during the previous session.

As the head of Turkmenistan noted, the present condition of universal realities, character and tendencies of political, economic, social processes objectively demand a resolute turn for well-co-ordinated interaction of states and international organisations for achievement of the general overall objective - maintenance of peace and security, creation of conditions for further development, preservation of the legal basis put in the basis of modern world order. By such point of view, our country considers the main goals of the 80th session of the General Assembly and expresses high hopes on it in formation of a strong, well-balanced and secure world architecture.

The key area of cooperation of Turkmenistan with the United Nations is maintenance of international peace and security. Realising its responsibility as permanently neutral state, our country is ready to start realisation of further practical steps aimed at creation of atmosphere of cooperation, mutual understanding, and a respectful dialogue as the main and defining condition, capable to provide stability and sustainable development in global and regional dimensions. Speaking of it, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed firm confidence that today one of the most effective mechanisms in advancement and achievement of these goals is practical use of principles of neutrality.

In that connection, Turkmenistan initiated inclusion of a separate point entitled «Neutrality for peace and security» in the agenda of the 80th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. We consider it important from the point of view of growing understanding of the world community of the importance of neutrality, comprehension of its potential and mechanisms in the light of peace-making strategy of the United Nations. In development of this line Turkmenistan during the present session will propose the draft of the resolution for consideration «The role and importance of the policy of neutrality in maintenance and strengthening of international peace, security and sustainable development process», the head of the state said.

As known, at the initiative of Turkmenistan this year was declared by the General Assembly as «International year of peace and trust». This significant event coincides with the anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations.

In December of this year, Turkmenistan will host the large International forum of high level devoted to the Year of peace and trust. We consider it as a real contribution to achievement of strategic targets of the United Nations, we count on wide and representative international participation, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov pointed out.

- We consider that the process of rapprochement of state approaches to tendencies of world development, establishment and strengthening of trust and mutual understanding should have a systematic and consecutive character. In that regard, Turkmenistan initiates to organize the world summit on the culture of peace and trust. One of the key goals of the summit we see development of the global code of international trust, which will form a universal basis for establishment of relations between countries on principles of respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as cooperation and joint solution of global problems, - the President of Turkmenistan stated.

- We consider the issue of ensuring of universal peace and mutual understanding in direct connection with civilized aspects of modern development, necessity of preservation and rapprochement of cultural and spiritual links. In this context, Central Asia, throughout centuries serving an objective role of a civilized bridge between the East and the West, today is urged to revive its historical mission, to become a space for dialogue, cooperation, rapprochement of valuable and visions of global outlook. Proceeding from it, Turkmenistan during the present session will propose to hold the international forum «Central Asia – a space of peaceful co-existence» in cooperation with the United Nations with participation of regional countries, other interested states, international institutes, - President Serdar Berdimuhamedov continued his speech.

As was marked, Turkmenistan will also submit a draft of the resolution for consideration of the General Assembly on declaration of International Mediation Day, which will underline the importance of diplomacy and neutral platforms in prevention and settlement of conflicts.

An active participation in implementation of goals of sustainable development, promotion of cooperation in its key areas as transport and energy still remain one of the priorities of our country. As one of the centres of the multilateral dialogue on the given problematics, Turkmenistan will continue to promote formation of a just, well-balanced and inclusive international system of development.

- We initiate at the present session declaration of the Decade of the United Nations on sustainable transport for 2026-2035 and submit a corresponding draft of the resolution, - President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stated and expressed hope that this step will allow to consolidate efforts of the international community for development of transport corridors, increases of their stability and maintenance of access to all countries.

Turkmenistan will also submit a draft of the resolution for consideration of the General Assembly of the United Nations «The key role of reliable and stable energy connectivity in ensuring sustainable development».

- At present, among priority issues of the agenda of development is digital transformation. We are convinced that this process should have a well-balanced character, reflect realities and legitimate interests of all states, including the developing world and should be free from politicisation and one-sidedness, - the head of the state underlined.

It was in this connection noted that Turkmenistan intends to initiate creations of the world platform for digital integration based on principles of equality, trust and inadmissibility of use of information-communication technologies to the detriment of peace, security and sustainable development.

During the 80th session Turkmenistan will continue work on ecological and climatic problematics, achieving its systematic consideration as a basic approach to security, creations of multilateral mechanisms of monitoring and reaction to climatic, ecological and technogenic cataclysms.

Turkmenistan initiates creation of the Regional centre to combat desertification for countries of Central Asia. We recognise that creation of such centre will promote consolidation of regional potential, strengthening of cooperation in the sphere of preservation of the environment as well as will bring a significant contribution to achievement of goals of sustainable development, in particular, in combat of climate change and preservation of ecosystems of lands. Speaking of it, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stated that our country would advance the Caspian ecological initiative, which was put forward at the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which is urged to become an international platform for preservation of the ecosystem of Caspian Sea. The Caspian ecological forum is urged to become an important step in this direction.

Having proposed to hold the mentioned forum in 2026, the head of the state expressed belief that today it is very important to strengthen the role of the United Nations in adjustment of wide humanitarian cooperation, promotion of rapprochement and mutual understanding between people, overcoming of valuable and spiritual barriers, involvement of effective channels of cultural diplomacy.

For development of intercultural dialogue and practical realisation of resolutions of the General Assembly on maintenance of multilingualism in the international relations, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed to proclaim «International Day of Multilingual Diplomacy».

As was underlined, Turkmenistan always measures and correlates all its international steps, initiatives with the Charter and basic documents of the United Nations, its long-term objectives. It is not without reason that we always underline that cooperation with the United Nations is a strategic priority of Turkmenistan. We speak of it with conviction that the United Nations - the unique international organisation possessing universal legitimacy. In this capacity, it also should remain the guarantor of peace and development, the framework of security and resilience of the global architecture, the head of the state noted.

- Turkmenistan will continue to support consistently the strengthening of the central role of the United Nations in international affairs. As the key factor of it, we consider the strengthening of prevalence of international law, perfection of international standards and increase of efficiency of realisation of conventions, contracts, agreements and other multilateral documents of the United Nations. In that connection, Turkmenistan initiates announcement of 2028 as the Year of international law that will becomes an important step in strengthening international legal bases of peace and cooperation, - President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said.

The present session has a special importance for Turkmenistan. 30 years ago within these walls the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization unanimously adopted the Resolution «Permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan». For our country, it was a landmark, historical event. In fact, it predetermined the entire subsequent foreign policy and international activity of Turkmenistan. The international recognition of our neutrality also promoted activization of internal development of the country, ensuring for it the favourable external conditions. In that regard, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, using the possibility, on behalf of people of Turkmenistan expressed to the United Nations member states, all the world community his gratitude for the decision adopted in December 1995 on recognition of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan, confirmed with two subsequent resolutions of the General Assembly.

Having underlined that Turkmenistan will always remember the trust placed in it and firmly and impeccably follow its international obligations, the head of the state congratulated again all delegations on the beginning of the work of the 80th anniversary session of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization and wished successes in strengthening cooperation and mutual understanding.

On completion of the program of his working visit, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov headed towards the John F. Kennedy International Airport of New York city and from there he departed home.

Officials welcomed the head of the state in the international air harbour of the capital.

Participation and speech of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in the first day of the plenary meeting of the high level 80th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, confirmed adherence of our state to neutrality and international law principles, and became a weighty contribution to promotion of all-round cooperation and strengthening of universal peace.

Turkmenistan, which represented neutrality at the global level as an effective mechanism for advancement of peace, stability and mutual understanding on the international arena, will further continue to realise actively the peace-making initiatives for the stable future of the entire humanity.