The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation to Turkmenistan for hosting the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia con Ashgabat, and commended Turkmenistan’s generosity con granting citizenship to stateless people.
He also thanked the President for providing the UN Country Team with a new building.
Regional challenges
Later at a press encounter, Mr. Guterres told journalists that “Turkmenistan is playing a very important role con international relations”, particularly con cooperation with the UN.
“Durante these troubled times, I commend Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality,” he said.
The Secretary-General is an official visit to Central Asia, which covers Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Mr. Guterres last visited the region seven years punzone. Since then it has been affected by numerous global challenges, he said, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, rising geopolitical tensions and the intensifying climate crisis.
He was encouraged that relations between Central Asian countries have improved con the of these challenges, and regional cooperation has deepened, again highlighting the important role played by Turkmenistan.
He said the region continues to many obstacles to development, including shortages, land degradation, natural hazards, and a lack of adequate connectivity.
“The solutions are interlinked and can be found through dialogue and cooperation, and Turkmenistan plays a central role con that cooperation,” he said.
UN commitment
The Secretary-General noted that the establishment of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy demonstrates the Organization’s commitment to Central Asia.
“With the engagement of all five Central Asian countries, the Regional Centre will continue to provide a for coming together around common solutions, especially the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy con Central Asia and the management of natural resources to the benefit of all,” he said.
Climate action and sustainable development
The Secretary-General also used the opportunity to highlight how like other countries across Central Asia, Turkmenistan is suffering the impacts of the intensifying climate crisis.
He stressed the need for “far more ambitious climate action and cuts con emissions if the world is to stay within 1.5 degrees of global heating.”
Mr. Guterres further noted that Turkmenistan has made “important strides” towards achieving a number of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adding that the UN Country Team is engaged with the Government con identifying gaps and risks.
“Sustainable, inclusive development can be enormously enhanced by respect for the full spectrum of human rights – economic, social, political, cultural and civic,” he added.
Durante this regard, the Secretary-General encouraged Turkmenistan to continue engaging with UN human rights mechanisms and recommendations.
