Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Dec. 11 / Trend H. Hasanov /
Ashgabat is hosting the international forum 'Neutrality and preventive diplomacy: a foundation for peace and security' under the auspices of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia with the support of the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, the official Turkmen source said on Tuesday.
The event is timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of opening the centre in the Turkmen capital.
UN Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier, ECO Secretary General Shamil Alasgarov, SCO Secretary General Muratbek Imanaliev, Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Cheng Gopin and other senior officials arrived in Ashgabat to attend the event.
In his earlier letter to Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon emphasised that he appreciated the work of the UN centre in Ashgabat.
'I appreciate the close cooperation between the UN and Turkmenistan and hope for its further development. Thanks also to the efforts of the UN staff in the country and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, for the benefit of the Turkmen people, as well as for the sake of stability and security in the region', the letter said. The UN has agencies, programmes and funds operating in the country.
Turkmenistan was elected to the three authoritative UN agencies - the UN Commission on Population and Development for 2012-2015, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs for 2012-2015, as well as on an on-going basis to the executive committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Turkmenistan's decision to accept a permanent neutrality status was officially recognised by the UN General Assembly in 1995.