SG/T/3040

Activities of Secretary-General in Turkmenistan, 13-14 June

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, accompanied by Madam Ban Soon-taek, arrived in Turkmenistan, the last leg of his five-country visit to Central Asia, shortly after midnight on Saturday, 13 June.

In the capital Ashgabat, he met with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and with the Cabinet of Ministers.

The Secretary-General and the President then jointly spoke to the media.

The Secretary-General congratulated the President, the Government and people of Turkmenistan for the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly resolution recognizing and supporting the country's decision to adopt the status of "Permanent Neutrality".

"In every corner of the world, a robust civil society is crucial for national development," he said, urging the Government to strengthen its partnership with the nascent civil society in Turkmenistan.

At the International University for the Humanities and Development, the Secretary-General presented the institution a certificate to commemorate its joining of the United Nations Academic Impact.

The University, in turn, conferred an honorary doctorate on the Secretary-General.

In remarks to faculty and students, he said that "curbing freedoms may create an illusion of stability in the short-run.  Things may seem calm on the surface.  There may not be protests on the streets.  But, the denial of free expression leads to a brewing underneath and ultimately a breeding ground for extremist ideologies."  (See Press Release SG/SM/16841.)

The Secretary-General attended a lunch hosted by Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov before meeting with Akja Nurberdiyeva, Speaker of the Mejlis (Parliament), as well as with other members of the body.

The Secretary-General visited the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, which is headquartered in Ashgabat.  He met with United Nations staff working in Turkmenistan and also with representatives of local non-governmental organizations.

He spoke to reporters, saying that the Centre is working with the Central Asian countries to strengthen their capacities to fight transborder threats, including terrorism and the management of water resources.

The Secretary-General ended his evening by attending a dinner hosted by President Berdimuhamedov, where attendees celebrated the Secretary-General's birthday with a cake and singing.

The Secretary-General and Madam Ban departed Turkmenistan for Geneva, Switzerland, the following morning, Sunday, 14 June.

For information media. Not an official record.