Turkmenistan Introduces New Passport for International Travel
Topic: Foreign Relations
Ashgabat, 25 October 2005 (nCa) --- Turkmenistan has announced introduction of a new passport for its citizens for international travel. Old passports would remain valid until replaced by new ones.

The new passport would include biometrical data to meet the international requirements. It would show the digital picture of the owner, fingerprints and machine-readable data.

A statement by the government of Turkmenistan says that the new passport is being introduced as an effort by Turkmenistan to participate in war against terrorism, transnational crimes and illegal migration.

The measure is aimed at ensuring free exit and entry of the citizens of Turkmenistan to other countries and protection of their constitutional rights, the statement says.

The state service of Turkmenistan for registration of foreign citizens is charged to conduct the tender on purchase of necessary equipment and production of forms for the new passports.

The document signed Monday by President Niyazov specifies the Regulations on order of issues of the new exit-entrance passports for citizens of Turkmenistan. The old passports of the citizens of Turkmenistan are valid till the full exchange with new passports.

The first holder of the new passport is President Niyazov.

Turkmenistan Joins Interpol
Topic: Foreign Relations
Ashgabat, 21 September 2005 (nCa) --- Turkmenistan has been accepted as the newest member of Interpol. The decision was taken unanimously Monday in Berlin during the 74th session of the General Assembly of Interpol.

In a message to President Niyazov of Turkmenistan, the secretary general of Interpol, Ronald Noble says, “I would like to congratulate your country on joining Interpol, which was approved by a unanimous vote of all of its members during the first day of work of the 74th session of the General Assembly in Berlin.”

Noble expressed hope that admission of Turkmenistan into Interpol would strengthen the readiness in combating criminal offences not only within the country but also at international level.

“Let me assure you of the full support from our side and readiness for cooperation by way of establishing a national central bureau and also by offering assistance in making Turkmenistan an important and active member of the organization by linking it to the global information system of Interpol "I-24/7,” says Noble.

Nearly 600 law enforcement delegates from 154 member countries gathered in Berlin this week, making it the largest General Assembly in the organization’s history.

Interpol is the world's largest international police organization, now with 184 member countries on five continents.

Founded in 1923 to enhance international police co-operation, officers from more than 70 countries now work side by side at Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, France, and in its regional bureaus around the world.

The Interpol global police communications system, I-24/7, allows police in all member countries to access crucial data or exchange messages instantly as they investigate cross-border crime or seek the arrest of international fugitives.

U.S. Government Donates Laboratory Equipment Worth US $ 100K to Ministry of Interior of Turkmenistan
Topic: Foreign Relations
02.09.2005. A handover ceremony marking the donation of a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GCMS) forensic laboratory instrument from the U.S. Government to Turkmenistan’s Ministry of the Interior was held in Ashgabat on September 1, 2005.

As the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports, U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan Tracey Ann Jacobson, Deputy Minister of the Interior Saparberdy Atabayev, representatives of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP), Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program (INL) in the U.S. Department of State participated in the ceremony.

According to the U.S. Embassy, INL has been conducting training in Turkmenistan for the past three years. Representatives from the U.S. government facilitated the installation of the GCMS forensic laboratory equipment and provided training to the laboratory staff during their recent visit to the Turkmen capital.

As the U.S. Embassy reports, the value of the GCMS and additional computer and photographic equipment that were donated totals approximately $100,000.

Turkmenistan.Ru

Int?l Organizations Praise Turkmenistan for Landmark Decision
Topic: Foreign Relations
UN System in Turkmenistan Acclaims Grant of Citizenship to Refugees

Ashgabat, 6 August 2005 (nCa) --- Representatives of the United Nation system in Turkmenistan have praised the decision of the Turkmen government to grant citizenship and residency rights to more than 16000 refugees and immigrants.

Khaled Philby, resident coordinator of UN system in Turkmenistan and Ms. Annika Linden, head of UNHCR mission in Turkmenistan, have sent a joint letter of thanks to the president of Turkmenistan.

The letter says, in part, “We wish to express our gratitude to you and to the government of Turkmenistan for the long-expected and magnanimous decision to grant citizenship to the . . . refugees.”

“Turkmenistan has displayed great generosity, humanity and hospitality in acceptance and grant of shelter to the refugees since their arrival in the country,” the letter says.

Annika Lynden told during a talk with the Turkmen media, “This is a great event for us. It is a great gift for anyone who is not indifferent to the fate of the people.”

She also said that during the ten years of mutual cooperation, UNHCR and Turkmenistan had been able to render great service to the refugees living on the territory of Turkmenistan.

Indu Mohandas, deputy head of UNHCR office in Turkmenistan, said, “This step is the logical continuation of the humanitarian policies of the president of Turkmenistan.”

Turkmenistan recently granted citizenship and residency rights to more than 16000 persons, most of who were ethnic Turkmens who were displaced during the civil war in Tajikistan.

Turkmenistan Grants Citizenship to 16000 Immigrants and Refugees
Topic: Foreign Relations
Ashgabat, 4 August 2005 (nCa) --- President of Turkmenistan signed a landmark series of decrees and resolutions Thursday, granting citizenship rights to more than 16000 immigrants and refugees living on the territory of Turkmenistan.

According to the presidential decision, the following categories of persons have been granted the citizenship rights:

- Former citizens of Tajikistan, representing different nationalities but mostly ethnic Turkmens, who were uprooted from their country as a consequence of the civil war in the 1990’s.

- Persons living on the Turkmen territory that was formerly temporarily rented to Uzbekistan.

- Those persons who migrated to Turkmenistan for permanent residence because of family or other reasons.

The decision by the government of Turkmenistan to give citizenship rights to such a large number of refugees and immigrants is another indicator that Turkmenistan is following a broad range of policies aimed at promoting peace and harmony in the world.

For more than a decade, Turkmenistan has continued to cooperate with UNHCR, IOM and other international organizations and world governments to help solve civil conflicts in the region and provide relief to refugees and displaced persons.

In addition to accepting refugees from the neighbouring countries, Turkmenistan provided assistance in resolving the armed conflicts in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan has sent a message to the newly accepted citizens of the country, expressing confidence that they would actively participate in the construction and strengthening of the independent and neutral Turkmenistan.