Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 13 / Trend, H. Hasanov /
The state guarantees the protection and patronage of all citizens not only in the country but also abroad, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov said in his statement, published by local media outlets on Saturday.
"I would like to draw your attention to the fact that recently some foreign media outlets have disseminated reports distorting the situation regarding the replacement of our passports," the statement says.
President Berdimuhammadov drew attention to the fact that some dishonest authors, referring to the replacement of old Turkmen passports due to completion of their validity, creates baseless speculations over the issue of dual citizenship, asserting that allegedly those holding passports of Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation simultaneously, will not be issued new passports of Turkmen citizen.
"In this regard, I, as president of the country and guarantor of observance of the Constitution of Turkmenistan, the rights and freedoms of every person and citizen, I consider it necessary to make the following statement: every Turkmen, regardless of nationality, gender, origin, property and official status, language, religion and political beliefs, will get new passport of a citizen of Turkmenistan," the statement says.
According to Berdimuhammadov, no one can be deprived of citizenship or the right to change his nationality in Turkmenistan, which is a democratic, legal and secular state. This right is guaranteed by the Constitution of Turkmenistan.
Berdimuhammadov said that all the constitutional rights and freedoms of those who previously had dual citizenship, and later became a citizen of Turkmenistan, regardless of ethnic, religious or other affiliation, will be strictly observed.
The statement says that equal conditions for the free development of the individual have been created for all Turkmen citizens, and no one would dare to limit citizens' rights to work, get education, free choice of profession and employment, social benefits and support from the state, and freedom of creativity and religion and etc.
"The State guarantees the protection and patronage of all citizens, not only in its territory, but also abroad," Berdimuhammadov said.
He said deliberate biased speculations spread by some media outlets, in no way can influence not only the friendly and fraternal relations, historically established between the peoples of Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation, but also on the strategic partnership between the two countries.