ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan Atadjan Movlamov said his country viewed 2025 as the year of peace and trust.

Turkmenistan considers the decision to declare 2025 as the ‘International Year of Peace and Trust’ as a global-scale event and a genuine opportunity for a qualitative transition to a new stage in international relations, the ambassador while talking to mediapersons at the embassy.

He said during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Turkmenistan initiated the General Assembly resolution “International Year of Peace and Trust 2025”, which was adopted unanimously with the co-sponsorship of 86 states, including Pakistan.

It reflects the fundamental purposes and principles of the UN Charter in particular the commitments to settle disputes by peaceful means and methods, he said.

The envoy said that the resolution represents the practical embodiment of the philosophy of new international relations “Dialogue is a guarantee of peace”, announced by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

He said the International Year of Peace and Trust coincides with the 30th anniversary of the universal recognition of the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan in accordance with the UN General Assembly resolution 50/80 “Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan”, unanimously adopted on December 12, 1995, he said.

He said the neutral status of his country was reaffirmed by General Assembly resolution 69/285 of June 3, 2015 and over the years the evolution of the country’s neutrality has proven its compliance with the basic values and goals of the UN, and has been recognised as a common asset of the world community.

He said this was further affirmed by the proclamation of December 12 as the International Day of Neutrality by the General Assembly at the initiative of Turkmenistan.

He said based on this, neutrality, its principles and practical tools should be used much more widely by the international community.

Essentially, Turkmenistan’s initiative is an invitation and call to all states to embark on joint efforts encompassing the political, ideological and practical aspects of implementing the idea of peace and trust as a fundamental principle of the world order, he said.

The ambassador said acting in this logic, in 2023 President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov put forward an initiative to develop a global security strategy from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly.

“We see it as a system of views and principles for the organisation of interstate and international relations in the 21st century. The strategy entails a comprehensive approach to addressing global challenges based on the interconnection of all aspects of security - military-political, economic, energy, environmental, biological, manmade and informational. Based on this, the global security strategy is intended to serve as an updated international legal framework for inter-state relations, reflecting the existing objective realities and needs of global development.”

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2025