TURKMENISTAN

PERMANENT MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

STATEMENT

by H.E. Mr. Batyr Berdyev,

Head of Delegation,

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan,

at the United Nations Millennium Summit

New York, 7 September 2000

Your Excellencies,

Esteemed Heads of State or Government,

Esteemed Secretary General of the United Nations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to speak from the podium of the historic Millenium Summit of the United Nations. First of all, allow me to convey to you the words of greeting from Saparmurat Niyazov, President of Turkmenistan. On the eve of the Summit we have distributed as an official document an article by Turkmenistan's President dedicated to the inauguration of the Summit entitled "The Turkmen, Turkmenistan, Peace: Milleniums and the XXI Century, Links between Times and Civilizatione'. This document highlights the philosophy and strategy of development of neutral and independent Turkmenistan, its involvement in the system of global relationships, its vision of the role and place of the United Nations in the 21st century, the principles for building a more just world order at the turn of the milleniums proceeding from the realities of the modem world, historical experience and heritage of diverse cultures as well as trends of future development of mankind. I would like to draw your attention to some of the elements contained in this document.

At the end of the 2& century having made its first and most difficult steps along the road towards restoring its history and rebuilding its own sovereign statehood Turkmenistan clearly understands the objective interrelationship and interdependence between the development of international relations and states' internal evolution and social progress within the framework of one of the main trends of the modem times which is the globalization. However, we cannot ignore the potential threat of social upheavals that are fraught with attempts to homogenize political systems and reduce historically established diversity of world views and systems of cultural values to only one political philosophy that leaves no other alternative open. This is an approach that professes protection of human rights, on the one hand, and ignores the right of the nations to peaceful and safe development, on the other. This is an approach that promotes the principle of self-determination and at the same time rejects territorial integrity of states. This is an approach that casts in doubt the entire system of international relations, legitimacy of established international norms, principles and goals and even the validity of the United Nations itself that embodies voluntary cooperation of equal nations. In our view, international law, the United Nations Charter and their principles of sovereignty and freedom of choice by every country of its own way of development and non-interference in internal affairs should remain the basis of the world order.

At the same time we share the view that in the 2 1 " century facing new challenges the UN system needs to be radically reformed. We stand for the reform of the United Nations that is aimed at strengthening and expanding its role in the world. We are against its dissolution within some new supranational structures; we are against dispersal and usurpation of United Nations functions by individual states or groups of states or other organizations.

This is fully applicable to such a serious problem as the problem of Afghanistan. Due to historical and geographical reasons Turkmenistan perceives this problem in an especially acute manner. It is our firm belief and facts from the history of the long suffering Afghan people most vividly demonstrate that any outside interference in the Afghan conflict, especially by means of force is doomed to failure. Division of Afghan people into "bad" and "good" brings with it only a new spiral of bloodshed and suffering for the entirely innocent people. We firmly believe that Afghan people who are now prepared to reach of their I

own free will an internal accord have long deserved peace and stable development in Afghanistan because of their suffering. Today good will is also required on the part of those outside Afghanistan who possess instruments of influence. The United Nations may be firmly convinced that its Special mission in Afghanistan has a reliable partner in Turkmenistan that is prepared to actively contribute to the Afghan settlement.

As regards ensuring stable social development and progress, regional cooperation acquires special significance in today's world. At present our region witnesses the formation of a stable system of active interaction represented by the Organization of Economic Cooperation which maintains partnership relations with the United Nations, ASEAN and other international institutions.

Objectively speaking, efforts undertaken by Turkmenistan with a view to exporting its energy resources to international markets serve the goals of development to no lesser extent. We are convinced that the contours of Eurasian security run along the routes of future pipelines. In this sense construction of pipelines means not only profitable commercial projects, it also means implementation of large-scale social development projects that go far beyond national boundaries. Therefore Turkmenistan proposes the initiative concerning security guarantees and unimpeded transit of energy resources over major interstate pipelines. It is necessary to entirely preclude the possibility of using the pipelines as an instrument of political pressure and economic diktat. Globalization of international economic relations calls for the elaboration of an International convention on the regime and guarantees for the functioning of interstate pipelines. Turkmenistan considers it as one of the major challenges of the new century and sponsors this document in the United Nations.

As regards the development and strengthening of regional cooperation in Asia, it is highly important to ensure that the United Nations should undertake monitoring of the situation with regard to the establishment of a new legal status of the Caspian Sea which should be determined by taking into account the interests of all the littoral states. Today the process of establishing a new international legal status of the Caspian Sea faces certain difficulties, which have a rather undesirable potential for regional stability. Therefore under those conditions active involvement by the United Nations is considered to be very relevant. The Caspian Sea should become a sea of accord and cooperation.

The root causes of most armed conflicts and interethnic hostilities that periodically flare up in different parts of the globe stem from social and economic problems. Raising them to the rank of a global confrontation between cultures, religions and civilizations and advocacy of crusades on the basis of modern logical assumptions means only a play with the notions. The root of the evil does not lie in the fatal incompatibility of the view of the world and values of the West and of the East, of the North and of the South, nor does it lie in inter-religious contradictions. It lies in that the still existing system of international economic relations does not any longer correspond to the political realities and needs of the world's population. We support efforts of the Secretary General, United Nations Development Program and other agencies aimed at establishing a fundamentally new non-discriminatory model of relations between the large and small states, between the industrialized and agricultural countries with a view to building broad inter-regional cooperation which is free from political pressure and infringement of sovereignty.

Turkmenistan promotes respect, tolerance and humane attitude in international relations and follows the same principles in its domestic life. Upholding of the ideals of interethnic and inter-religious accord, tolerance, social partnership and justice in the state and society has become a priority in our domestic policy. From the time of acquiring its independence Turkmenistan proclaimed that human being, human life, health, safety, full moral and physical development are the highest value of the state. The country proclaimed and began to implement the policy providing for the unconditional priority of social protection of the population that could guarantee the people against poverty and deprivation and could ensure social and political stability and trust in the course of implemented reforms. As a result of the measures taken during the years of independence Turkmenistan witnessed a decrease in infant mortality, an increase in the life span and a drop in the crime rate. The country has established powerful guarantees for protecting motherhood and childhood and safeguarding the rights of the young people, women and the aged. Social programs are ensured by the implementation of the economic reform that placed Turkmenistan among the countries that are self-sufficient in the production of grain and staple food products. It became possible .thanks to the fulfillment of the main components of the comprehensive program of economic security. The strategy of social and economic transformation in Turkmenistan until the year 2010 envisages accelerated development of the real sector of economy, institutional reforms and attraction of investments, including foreign capital. New branches of industry will be established in the country.

In December 1999 the country's highest legislative body - The People's Council - adopted the decision and approved the Law on Complete and Final Abolition of Capital Punishment in Turkmenistan which became the first document of humanistic nature ever adopted in the Asian continent. The Law on Annual Amnesty was also adopted with a view to making public life more humane in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan acceded to the second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights which reaffirmed our intention to implement in a practical and principled manner the principles of humanism, democracy and protection of human freedoms and rights. We are especially proud that Turkmenistan became the first among newly independent states that decided to take those steps. However, in doing so we, as realistically and pragmatically minded people, believe that social development is an on-going process which requires cooperation, exchange of ideas and above all a dialogue with the United Nations.

Interconnection and interdependence of the processes that are under way in today's world are evident. Their dialectics is built along the following line: human being - state - region - continent - whole world humankind. Therefore we believe that by understanding the entire degree of its responsibility any state and any nation - be it a large or a small one - is capable today of influencing the entire course of world's development precisely in accordance with this sequence.

Adherence to this approach dictates the orientation of Turkmenistan's position and actions with respect to the most important and burning issues of international development, which take into account global challenges and its national interests. It is only on the basis of joint efforts that international community of nations will be able to cope with them by making use of the state-of-the art political technologies. There should be no place for economic and political blackmail and diktat in them and no assistance be it from international organizations, individual countries or financial centers should be conditioned by an infringement of sovereign rights of any state. The right of the might should give way to the right of the law. This is yet another specific characteristic of our epoch. This is the approach that Turkmenistan has always insisted and insists on, this is an approach that corresponds to moral criteria of the Turkmen people and their political philosophy.