Anniversary conference in the Institute of International Relations

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan held the research and practical conference "Diplomacy of neutral Turkmenistan: from history to the future". 

The decision to establish the Institute on March 20, 2008 was an important step that laid the foundation for the formation of the unified system for training highly qualified personnel for the diplomatic service of the country and the specialists of the state structures involved in foreign policy, as well as for carrying out the research work on the fundamental issues of our time. 

This decision was caused by the intensification of Turkmenistan's activities on the world arena, the process of its wide integration into the system of international relations that required new professional knowledge and experience. Today, the Institute of International Relations has a noble mission to educate the young generation of Turkmen diplomats. 

Since its foundation, more than 400 specialists in international relations and diplomacy, international law, international economic relations and journalism have graduated from the university. Today, they serve in the state structures, at the embassies and consular offices of Turkmenistan in foreign countries, the permanent missions of international organizations. 

An important area of work of the Institute of International Relations includes the exchange of experience and specialists with higher educational institutions and diplomatic academies of foreign countries. The research and practical conferences, seminars and meetings on various issues of the international agenda with the participation of guests from all over the world are regularly held in the institute. 

The anniversary forum brought together the deputies of the Mejlis, the specialists of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the heads of diplomatic missions and representative offices of international organizations accredited in Ashgabat, teachers, students of higher educational institutions in the Turkmen capital, mass media among others. 

The welcoming address of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov was presented at the conference. In his address, the President of Turkmenistan emphasizes that in the modern system of international relations, independent Turkmenistan occupies a worthy place, actively increasing the productive cooperation, putting forward a number of constructive proposals, first of all, to ensure the universal peace, security and sustainable development. 

Particular attention is paid to the political and diplomatic ways to maintain the efficient interstate relations in Central Asia and beyond. A number of resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly that specify the crucial for all mankind aspects, including the regional stability and security, transit of energy resources, development of transport and communication infrastructure have been adopted on the initiative of Turkmenistan. 

Underlining the significance of the high professional skills, deep knowledge and talent, the comprehensive training of the diplomatic service employees in the fruitful development of the international relations in modern conditions, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized that the government created all the necessary conditions to further improve the national higher school of diplomacy. 

Those speaking during the conference noted that Turkmenistan was invariably committed to the principles of the legal status of permanent neutrality and always proved that good-neighborliness and cooperation in the name of common interests had been and remained the fundamental basis of its foreign policy. 

The Concept of the Foreign Policy Course of Neutral Turkmenistan in 2017-2023 that envisages the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation with foreign partners and international organizations has been developed and is being successfully implemented. 

The year of 2018 in our country is declared under the motto "Turkmenistan is the heart of the Great Silk Road" that offers a powerful impetus to intensify the work to revive this ancient route in new formats, opening up wide opportunities for expanding political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian ties, and Turkmenistan uses its diplomacy to implement this project. 

The conference participants emphasized that the Turkmen leader’s initiatives to ensure the global environmental and energy security, to create the continental transit and transport corridors, to ensure the peaceful political settlement of the situation in Afghanistan and to develop the relevant international legal mechanisms were widely recognized by the world community. 

That is vividly proved by the Resolution adopted by the UN Security Council to Extend Mandate of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan on March 8, 2018. 

The special role in the above-mentioned important document of the UN Security Council is assigned to the efforts taken by our state to revive the socio-economic infrastructure of Afghanistan. The document emphasizes the significance of Turkmenistan’s initiatives on the international projects in the sphere of transport and energy, in particular the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan railway, the Agreement on the Lapis Lazuli Transit, Trade and Transport Route Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey. 

The implementation of the TAPI gas pipeline project started in December 2015, and the construction of the Afghan section of this gas main has been recently launched. At the same time, the works on laying the power transmission and fiber-optic communications lines along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan route have been started. Two new railways - Kerky-Imamnazar-Akina and Serhetabat-Turgundi were built and put into operation. 

Taking into account such a large-scale activity, the UN Security Council, in the adopted Resolution, has called all interested parties to ensure the safe conditions and promote the effective cooperation to implement the above-mentioned projects and agreements. 

As President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov underlined in his congratulatory address to the compatriots on the occasion of the adoption of the Resolution, Turkmenistan has chosen the correct and well-thought-out foreign-policy course that meets the goals of the universal peace and sustainable development. The Resolution recognizes Turkmenistan's achievements in strengthening the large-scale international cooperation in Central Asia. This document provides us with an opportunity to confidently implement joint long-term plans and the strategy of interaction with the United Nations Organisation. 

The highly qualified diplomatic personnel, international specialists, who are to contribute to the creation of optimal conditions and the most favored nation atmosphere for the development of interstate relations, strengthening the position and the authority of the Turkmen state in the world arena, play an important role in achieving these goals. 

As was noted during the anniversary conference, the training of professionals in this field is associated with the constant scientific search, the development of issues of theoretical justification of the foreign policy programmes. In this context, the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not only a pedagogical institution but also a scientific institution that is called upon to carry out the theoretical elaboration of the issues on international relations and foreign policy. The priority direction of the research work of the Institute is the profound study of the conceptual ideas, innovative foreign-policy initiatives of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. 

In order to improve the work of the higher school of diplomacy, the Scientific and Methodological Centre on Sustainable Development Goals and the Centre for Training administrative and technical personnel for the diplomatic service of Turkmenistan were opened at the institute. 

In this regard, it is of particular importance to provide conditions to satisfy the growing demand for the objective and reliable information, reflecting the various aspects of Turkmenistan's foreign policy and international initiatives. The scientific and practical journal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country "Foreign Policy and Diplomacy of Turkmenistan" has become a platform for the constructive exchange of views between scholars and diplomats. 

The exhibition, showcasing the books by the President of Turkmenistan, as well as scientific works, dictionaries and teaching aids, prepared by the teachers of the institute, and other exhibits, telling about the institute’s achievements, was arranged in the framework of the forum.