A Week Marking Turkmenistan’s Sacred Neutrality: A Celebration of Peace and Trust
The past week in Turkmenistan became a vivid symbol of the country’s steadfast commitment to the ideals of peace, trust and constructive dialogue. The celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of permanent neutrality brought together in Ashgabat heads of state, senior representatives of international organisations and high-level guests from around the world, once again affirming Turkmenistan’s distinctive role in international affairs. The culmination of the commemorative events was a grand fireworks display that illuminated the evening sky over the capital, providing a spectacular conclusion to an intense and meaningful week.
The celebrations began with a solemn flower-laying ceremony at the Monument of Neutrality, attended by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov together with heads of foreign states and governments. This gesture paid tribute to the historic choice made on 12 December 1995, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously recognised the international legal status of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality. During the jubilee week, Ashgabat hosted the leaders of Russia, Türkiye, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as the Prime Ministers of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Myanmar, alongside representatives of other countries and international institutions.
The central event of the celebrations was the International Forum of Peace and Trust, where participants discussed issues of regional security, sustainable development, and the expansion of economic and humanitarian cooperation. In their addresses, speakers emphasised that Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality has, for three decades, served as an effective instrument for strengthening stability in Central Asia and beyond. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that neutrality enables Turkmenistan to build constructive, mutually beneficial and friendly relations with all countries, while also advancing meaningful international initiatives. In this context, the proposal to establish, in cooperation with the United Nations, a University of Peace and Neutrality was presented as an academic and educational platform aimed at developing the applied potential of neutrality and preventive diplomacy.
