Turkmenistan, 1996

Allow me, first of

all, to congratulate Mr. Razali Ismail, as a representative of

a State with which Turkmenistan has exceptionally warm

relations, on the occasion of his election to this high post.

I should like also to express confidence that his vast

diplomatic experience in close association with the United

Nations will enable him to effectively guide the work of the

current session, which is called upon to accomplish a

number of historic objectives.

The President's opening statement reaffirms that our

expectations will come true. Here, I should like to express

our appreciation to Mr. Freitas do Amaral for his work

during the preceding session of the General Assembly,

which has become an integral part of Turkmenistan’s

history by dint of its unanimous adoption of the resolution

on the permanent neutrality of my country. Speaking from

this rostrum on the eve of the adoption of that resolution,

His Excellency Saparmurad Niyazov, President of

Turkmenistan, emphasized that Turkmenistan would take all

the necessary steps to reaffirm its complete adherence to

the principles of the United Nations by making a

constructive contribution to the stabilization of the

situation in our strife-torn region, by peace-building and

by serving the interests of cooperation within our region

and at the inter-regional level. During the past year,

Turkmenistan has taken steps to achieve this goal by

playing host to three rounds of talks between Tajik

factions in Ashgabat, by providing assistance to the

Mission of the Secretary-General’s special envoy for

Afghanistan, and by hosting a number of major

international forums.

Having entered the world community of nations as

an independent State on the eve of the twenty-first

century, Turkmenistan, like other countries, has found

itself facing the need to accept the challenge of the times

so typical of the turn of centuries. That is why we have

focused our efforts on the international arena, striving to

become part of the worldwide process with its new trends

towards unity based on national statehood and

sovereignty. A policy of constructive neutrality has

become our response to the challenge of the epoch.

Turkmenistan is an Asian country whose destiny has

been to become one of the actors involved in the all-

European process. We view this factor as a unique chance

to cooperate with the Europeans within the framework of

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE), the European Union and other organizations, and

to promote better understanding and the improvement of

North-South cooperation.

Today the international community confronts

problems requiring new approaches and innovative

decisions, profound analysis and forecasting. In this

respect, we would like to propose that, under the auspices

of the United Nations, an international centre for political

studies be established in Turkmenistan that would carry

out studies on the political and economic situation in our

region. The work of the centre should correspond to the

new geopolitical realities, and the centre should have the

task of elaborating specific strategic recommendations in

the interests of global peace and security. It is no secret

that analysing a situation from a distance often leads to

incorrect conclusions and projections.

Confrontation between blocs has become a thing of

the past. Today geo-economic regions have emerged as

the main actors in the political arena. Classifying States

according to their size and might, which infringes on the

interests of small and medium-size States, has become

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obsolete. Within the existing system of international

relations, all States should be able to structure themselves

within the framework of universally accepted rules, but they

should do so according to their own tenets and principles.

It is in this context that we support the initiatives aimed at

introducing appropriate changes in the functioning of the

United Nations, its bodies and sister organizations.

The United Nations Charter stipulates that the Security

Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of

international peace and security. We share the view that

today the notion of security has undergone a radical

transformation and includes an entire set of equally

important political, economic, environmental, social,

military and other components. Proceeding from this

assumption, we endorse the proposal that membership of

this main body of the United Nations should be enlarged,

within reasonable limits, so that it may ensure that this

international process is manageable and controllable. Of

equal importance is the question of balanced and adequate

representation in the Security Council of States from both

the North and the South.

Today’s Turkmenistan is a country with a transitional

economy undergoing profound social and political changes.

In this respect, we hope that “An Agenda for Development”

will be finalized during the current session, which will help

to establish a system of priorities and assistance to States

pursuing such national development programmes. It is

hardly possible to overestimate the role of the United

Nations, because it is precisely this mechanism that should

ensure the utmost objectivity and tolerance towards such

processes. Newly independent States did not emerge out of

a vacuum. Each one possesses its own specific features,

unique national and geographic characteristics, historical

ties and psychological patterns. Each one has the right to

choose its own model of development and State system.

Proceeding from this assumption, we support the view

that diversity is integral to the world. However, though all

States are subject to international law, the aspirations of all

for development and prosperity cannot be programmed

according to a single standard or world view. The main

challenge of the twenty-first century is to ensure that all

Members of the United Nations can look at one another

from the point of view of unity in diversity. We are

therefore grateful to the United Nations and to States

possessing global political and economic potential for their

support and understanding.

Turkmenistan possesses colossal natural resources. It

has one of the richest deposits of hydrocarbons in the

world — I refer to the Caspian basin as well as to other

areas of my country. One of the major tasks facing us is

the establishment of a pipeline infrastructure that, in

conjunction with the existing system, will ensure supply

of our gas to Europe and Asia. We are glad that

Turkmenistan’s interests as an exporter coincide with the

interests of European and Asian consumers. We are happy

that neighbouring countries — Iran, Afghanistan, Russia,

Turkey, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakstan — do not

have any differences with respect to this issue.

In this context I would like to touch on several

issues relating to the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan, like all

littoral States, is concerned about its future and the

prospects for its resources. We believe that there is no

place for unilateral decisions or dictates on this issue.

What is required is the establishment of a system of full

trust and interaction among the Caspian Sea States for the

sake of the common interests and prosperity of each

individual State. The forthcoming Conference of Foreign

Ministers of the Caspian States to be held in Ashgabat

will serve as the forum for discussion of all those

problems and will prepare a platform for a Caspian

summit meeting.

Turkmenistan is opposed to any military activity in

the Caspian Sea. It wishes to ensure a regime of free

navigation with respect to the national borders of every

littoral State. The wealth of the Caspian Sea, its unique

biological and mineral structure and fragile ecological

system call for a comprehensive and balanced approach,

free from short-term profit or political advantage. We do

not doubt that all Caspian Sea States will be able to find

the best alternative on the basis of common sense and

respect for the interests of each country involved in the

name of the common goal of peace and security.

There is one area of cooperation with the United

Nations in which Turkmenistan has a special interest: the

struggle against drug distribution and trafficking.

Turkmenistan is waging a relentless fight against this evil

and has established a State coordination commission. At

the beginning of this year Turkmenistan joined the 1961

Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971

Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988

United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Turkmenistan attaches great importance to its cooperation

with the United Nations International Drug Control

Programme, and has signed a bilateral agreement with it.

In May 1996 Turkmenistan, together with other countries

of Central Asia, and in cooperation with the United

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Nations International Drug Control Programme, signed a

memorandum on regional cooperation concerning control of

illegal production, trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs.

We need to make extraordinary efforts in order to control

the situation, roll back the spiral of evil and reverse the

situation whereby the problem of drugs grows in proportion

to the efforts made to combat it.

Turkmenistan is actively cooperating with the

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

(OSCE) and the United Nations in developing democratic

processes so as to bring up new generations free from the

old psychological stereotypes and doubtful ideological

values. Democracy, human rights, people’s rights to

property and legal protection are all universal notions.

However, it is not enough simply to understand their

relevance; it is necessary to implement them in real life

once and for all. What we need is patience and time to

allow such understanding to be translated into practical

reality. That is why Turkmenistan has created an institute

for democracy, human rights and statehood development,

which is called upon to develop its own model of a

democratic society, relying on the best European and Asian

experiences and drawing on the knowledge of international

experts. One does not have to be a specialist in order to

understand that, no matter how perfect a model proposed

from outside may seem, it might not be effective when

applied to a traditional Oriental society such as exists in

Turkmenistan, a country that has inherited values from

ancient civilizations and the culture of Islam. There is also

a specific mentality among its people, who have for

centuries fought for their survival and have eventually

acquired the chance to be independent and have their own

national identity.

The agenda of the current session includes an item

dealing with the development of cooperation between the

United Nations and its bodies and the Economic

Cooperation Organization (ECO). During the last summit of

that organization, which was held in May 1996 in the

capital of Turkmenistan, my country assumed the

presidency for the next two-year period, and it intends to

exert every effort necessary to implement the large-scale

programmes of this organization, which now comprises 10

countries.

The ECO is a purely economic organization with no

political strings attached. It members share a common view

on this matter. Similarly, we believe that only the

acceleration of economic development and the improvement

of cooperation among States can bring well-being and

prosperity to the peoples of the region. However, a number

of political preconditions are indispensable for developing

economic interaction so that it can be effective and

fruitful. I believe that a climate of political trust is the

first requirement. If such a climate becomes a constant

factor in our relations, it will contribute to the

advancement of new, bold initiatives and specific projects.

To put it plainly, we must profess a philosophy of mutual

understanding and trust. It is only under such conditions

that our projects can be successfully implemented. That

is especially important because conflict situations persist

in the ECO region, in Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Turkmenistan firmly believes that these two ancient and

wise peoples are capable of overcoming the syndrome of

lingering mistrust and difference. We fully support the

initiative of the United Nations and the efforts of

neighbouring countries aimed at a peaceful settlement.

As for Afghanistan, we consider it important that the

conflict there has moved from being in a category of

forgotten conflicts to the centre of international efforts.

By conducting constant consultations with the leaders of

neighbouring countries and the Secretary-General, the

President of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, has

expressed Turkmenistan’s readiness to take an active part

in the search for an Afghan settlement. The fate of many

global economic projects hinges on peace in Afghanistan,

in particular the supply of energy resources to actively

developing energy markets in Asia.

Next month Turkmenistan will celebrate the fifth

anniversary of its independence. Today we can discern

more clearly the perspectives and understand better in

what areas we should develop cooperation with foreign

partners. We can clearly see and evaluate the situation at

home, in the region and the rest of the world.

Accumulated experience enables us to say that

Turkmenistan has found its place in the international

community, both politically and economically. By

consistently and progressively

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moving towards the democratization of our society and the

establishment of market mechanisms in the economy, our

State is becoming integrated into the worldwide process. By

closely interacting with foreign partners and pursuing a

vigorous foreign policy, we are confident that these tasks

will be implemented promptly and efficiently.