Turkmenistan - EU: to the Full-Scale Co-Operation on the Basis of the Constructive Dialogue
Topic: Foreign Relations
May 13, 2005. Yesterday the Turkmen capital was a place of holding the 6th sitting of the European Union – Turkmenistan Joint Commission. A representative delegation of the European Commission and the EU countries headed by the head of the Directorate General for External Relations Huge Patrick Mingarelli took part in the meeting.

The Turkmen party was represented by a governmental delegation whose members were approved by the corresponding resolution of the President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov.

As it is known, a new stage of the co-operation between Turkmenistan and the EU began in November 2003 when President Saparmurat Niyazov sent a message to the address of the EU President, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy Silvio Berlusconi and the President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and confirmed Turkmenistan’s readiness for development of the constructive dialogue and fruitful co-operation in the international interests and welfare. As the head of the state stressed, Turkmenistan was always open for co-operation with the European structures on the basis of the concrete and efficient joint actions on a wide range of the issues including those of human dimension.

The dialogue on the priorities and prospects of the partnership between Turkmenistan and the European Community serving the aims of strengthening the potential of peace, good will and international co-operation was also continued during the present meeting.

The parties exchanged their views on the issues of mutual interest. The representatives of the European Commission specially stressed the growing interest of the European structures in the possibility of establishing a full-scale dialogue with Turkmenistan and expressed their support of the further strengthening trade and economic relations and realisation of the joint programmes and projects.

Practical steps made by Turkmenistan for stirring up the relations with the EU and the EU countries were highly appreciated by the Joint Commission members. Noting the high rates of the economic growth of Turkmenistan, the European partners called that factor a basic one for efficient fulfilment of the reforms both in the sphere of socio-economic development of the country and that of improvement of the democratic institutions of the state government.

Stressing the special significance of the Ashgabat forum in the context of the further strengthening the mutually advantageous relations between the EU and Turkmenistan, its participants stated the necessity of the regular contacts for the purpose of forming an efficient model of co-operation meeting the realia of the time and the spirit of the mutually advantageous and equal partnership.

Commenting on the visit of the EU delegation to Turkmenistan, the head of the Directorate General for External Relations Huge Patrick Mingarelli said: “ It is good that our present visit to Ashgabat was held within the framework of the established dialogue. Recently, we had managed to establish close co-operation in different spheres including agriculture, power engineering and environment protection. The participation of Turkmenistan in the regional TACIS programmes can prove it. As at present we face the common problems and tasks of further development, then our mutual stirring-up of solving those tasks will help us in our efforts to continue the dialogue. I am sure that co-operation between the European Union and Turkmenistan will be steadily strengthened.”

In his turn, the representative of the Duchy of Luxemburg Carlo Krieger said: “ I came to Ashgabat to discuss the theme connected with the human rights and freedoms alongside with the other ones. I consider the initiative of the government of Turkmenistan to be very important and I am sure that by means of the fruitful dialogue we will be able to co-ordinate our positions and find proper solutions.”

State Information Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH)

Japanese Embassy Opened in Turkmenistan
Topic: Foreign Relations
Ashgabat, 17 January 2005 (nCa) --- A Japanese delegation led by Ichiro Aisawa, first vice minister of foreign affairs, had a meeting with President Niyazov Monday morning. Later in the day, Aisawa participated in the opening ceremony of Japanese embassy in Ashgabat.

“We are open to mutual cooperation on the basis of equality,” said Niyazov during his talk with the delegation.

“There is wide scope for foreign firms in hundreds of projects,” he said.

He noted that well known Japanese brand names such as Itochu, Mitsubishi, Nichimen and Komatsu were already participating in a number of projects in the country.

Japanese machinery is extensively used in oil and gas, textile and construction sectors in Turkmenistan.

Niyazov told that hydrocarbon sector, textile industry, and chemical processing would remain the engines of growth in the national development plan. “There is great scope for mutual cooperation here,” he stressed.

Aisawa expressed his admiration for the transformation that had taken place in Turkmenistan since its independence.

“The reason for this phenomenal growth is the socio economic model of development adopted by Turkmenistan based on its unique natural potential and favourable geopolitical location,” he said.

“It is quite natural that lots of foreign companies are eager to work here, and Japan is no exception,” Aisawa underlined.

He said that Japan was ready to offer experience and the latest technology to help develop oil and gas complex and other branches of Turkmenistan.

The sides discussed other questions of regional and global interest and exchanged views on reforms in the United Nations.

Niyazov noted that his country’s policy of permanent neutrality was oriented toward broad cooperation at international level.

Later in day, opening ceremony of Japanese embassy took place at Ak-Altyn Plaza Hotel where the mission is located.

“Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992, Japan-Turkmenistan cooperation has been increasing every year,” said Aisawa addressing the guests in the ceremony.

“Opening of Japanese embassy in the Turkmen capital is an important step in the ongoing dialogue between the two countries,” he said

Japan hosted a reception in the evening.

www.newscentralasia.com

OSCE Supports Strongly Turkmen Proposal for Regional Peace Centre
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
Ashgabat, 1 December 2004 (nCa) --- An OSCE envoy visiting Ashgabat said Tuesday that Turkmenistan?s proposal to establish a regional peace center ? Centre for Preventive Diplomacy ? was a timely idea and OSCE would lend it all possible support.

?This is very important proposal and OSCE would do all it can to help implement this idea,? said Younal Said Loutfi, deputy head of Bulgarian parliament and special envoy of OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

Loutfi said that the challenges facing mankind today ? terrorism, narco-traffic, cross-border crimes ? were such that no single nation could handle these on its own.

?Joint effort is required to meet these challenges and [Turkmenistan?s proposal for] center for preventive diplomacy could? help tackle some of these problems, he said.

Kamen Velichkov, Bulgarian ambassador for UN and Security Council Affairs, who was accompanying Loutfi, said, ?We don?t see any problem to try and support [the proposal] ? to put these creative ideas into perspective.?

Turkmenistan has proposed establishment of a regional peace center ? Centre for Preventive Diplomacy ? for the Central Asian region. According to the proposal, first aired through an article by President Niyazov in the UN Chrinicle, the United Nations has been invited to set up a peace center in Ashgabat. Turkmenistan has offered to provide all logistic support for the center.

During Niyazov?s visit to Bukhara on 19 November 2004, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan included the proposal in their mutual treaty of eternal peace and friendship.

According a UN official, if all the countries of the region agreed to the proposal, it could be implemented simply by an administrative order from the secretary general of the United Nations. ?There would be no need for voting in the General Assembly,? said the official.

If the center gets established, it would provide an opportunity to the UN and OSCE to pool their resources and avoid wastage that occurs from duplication.

www.newscentralasia.com

Kazakhstan Supports Turkmen Proposal for Regional Peace Centre
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
Ashgabat, 29 December 2004 (nCa) --- After Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan has also extended strong support to the Turkmen proposal for setting up a UN regional peace centre – centre for preventive diplomacy – in Ashgabat.

“Taking into account the geostrategic location of Turkmenistan in the region, and also its policy of neutrality and development of friendly relations among the neighbouring countries, I would like to confirm the offer made earlier by the Kazakh side for setting up the centre in Ashgabat,” said President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan in a letter to President Niyazov.

Nazarbayev says in his letter, “I would like to refer to the initiative for creating a regional centre of the United Nations for preventive diplomacy for Central Asia that was put forward during the visit of the Secretary General of UN, Kofi Annan, to Kazakhstan in 2002.”

“The initiative is supported by the Secretary General and the member countries of the United Nations. To the present time the concept of the activity of the centre has been developed and all the organizational questions related to its establishment have practically been solved,” he continues.

Stressing the need to choose the most convenient place for location of the centre, Nazarbayev said, “I think, in the capital of your peaceful country all necessary conditions exist for creation of the centre, the purpose of which is to develop Central Asia into a zone of steady development based on the environment of no-conflict and coexistence among the people.”

“I ask you to consider the offer, which, I think, would be supported by other countries of Central Asia,” concludes the Kazakh president.

President Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan has already endorsed the idea during Niyazov’s visit to Bukhara on 19 November 2004. The proposal was incorporated in the treaty of eternal friendship signed between the two countries. The treaty has already been ratified by both sides.

With the credibility of the United Nations at its lowest since inception and the growing feeling among the weaker nations that they have nowhere to turn to for protection, the idea of regional peace centres to prevent conflicts locally could be the last lifeline for the ailing world body.

www.newscentralasia.com

Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Propose To Establish UN?s Regional Centers In Their Capitals
Topic: Permanent Neutrality
22 November, 2004. Saparmurat Niyazov and Islam Karimov paid a great deal of attention to issues related to enhancing the role of the UN in the Central Asian region at the talks last Friday in Bohara, the Ashgabat correspondent of Turkmenistan.ru reports. The leaders of neighboring countries spoke in favor of developing closer cooperation with this international organization and fixed this thesis in the bilateral Treaty on Friendship, Confidence Building and Development of Cooperation.

As the document says, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan “attach particular importance to the further enhancement of the role of the UN and its Security Council, the implementation of goals and principles stated in the documents of OSCE and other authoritative international organizations in avoiding and settling conflicts, dealing with issues of security and stability and confidence building.”

To achieve this goal Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan considered it necessary to establish the UN Regional Center of Preventive Diplomacy with residence in Ashgabat and the UN Central Asian Regional Information Center on Countering Transnational Crime and Drug Trafficking with residence in Tashkent.

It should be noted that President of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov had earlier put forth this initiative on the establishment of the UN Regional Center of Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat in his letter to the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan.

Turkmenistan.Ru