Established on the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan in 2009, the Day of Diplomatic Workers of Turkmenistan is a relatively new holiday. Nevertheless, this holiday, or rather the sphere to which this holiday is devoted – national diplomacy – has gained respect, authority and recognition both within the country and beyond its borders over seventeen years. This has been achieved primarily due to the evident successes attained by Turkmenistan’s foreign policy throughout its development, especially in recent years. Today, amid geopolitical and geo economic instability and the serious threat of emergence of ever new conflicts, the essential, inherent features of Turkmenistan’s diplomacy and its instruments acquire particular significance and promise.
The main goals and objectives of Turkmenistan as a subject of international relations, as well as the methods and instruments for achieving them are set out in the published Foreign Policy Concept for 2022–2028 and specified in the current context in the “Priority Positions” presented at the ongoing session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Generally speaking, the foreign policy and diplomacy of Turkmenistan have been focused primarily on ensuring favourable, stable and predictable external conditions for progressive domestic development, economic growth, advancement of the social sphere and improvement of the standard and quality of life of the population. In this regard, prioritization of such areas of Turkmenistan’s international cooperation as sustainable energy, transport connectivity, ecology and environmental protection, establishment of communication infrastructure and logistics, the technological component and a number of other areas appears logical.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov has given clear and highly specific instructions in this regard, and the foreign policy service is guided by them both in its day to day activities and long term planning.
The topic of energy security and reliability of supplies has been brought to the level of global discussion. Energy diplomacy, largely initiated by Turkmenistan, has firmly taken its place on the United Nations agenda. Over the past few years alone, a number of relevant UNGA resolutions developed by Turkmenistan in co sponsorship with partners have been adopted. This has given impetus to systematic multilateral dialogue on this issue, raised questions of logistics and flow configuration and generated fundamentally new ideas and visions for the development of the global energy space.
Turkmenistan boasts some of the world’s largest hydrocarbon reserves. In terms of proven natural gas reserves, the country ranks fourth globally. Recognizing the significance of this fact in contemporary geo economic realities, Turkmenistan responsibly, carefully and pragmatically shapes its energy strategy, including in international markets. Its main principles consist of reasonable diversification of flows, their balanced configuration and the security and reliability of supplies. At the political level and in the international legal dimension, Turkmenistan proceeds from the need to support the process of cooperation in the energy sector with clear principles and approaches that would meet the current needs of global development and mutual benefit, make it possible to avoid one sidedness, imbalances and clashes of interests between producers, transit countries and consumers, and instead achieve their coordination and compatibility.
The country is implementing a major international project – the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India (TAPI) gas pipeline. Construction of the first stage of TAPI is currently underway on the territory of Afghanistan. The project enjoys broad international support and has clear prospects in terms of meeting the growing energy needs of South Asian states, as well as providing benefits for Afghanistan. It also offers opportunities for access to other growing markets in the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East. The role of TAPI as a factor of political stability, economic well being and investment attractiveness is likewise beyond doubt.
Turkmenistan’s transport diplomacy is also aimed at harmonization and effectiveness. The country’s role in initiating substantive international interaction on this topic is evident. As is known, the first global transport forum was held in Turkmenistan in 2016. The United Nations General Assembly has adopted and supported seven draft resolutions put forward by Turkmenistan on transport connectivity and its role in ensuring sustainable development. The third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries held last summer in the city of Turkmenbashi was a landmark event of global significance. It is also important to mention such a major initiative of the President of Turkmenistan as the proclamation of the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Transport (2026–2035).
Turkmenistan’s environmental diplomacy is likewise aimed at consolidating and systematizing multilateral efforts. The development of a United Nations water strategy, initiatives on management of water and energy resources, efforts to combat desertification, the Caspian Environmental Initiative and the related initiatives to hold the second Caspian Environmental Forum and establish the United Nations Regional Centre for Climate Technologies in Central Asia are only some examples of Turkmenistan’s concrete steps.
Naturally, ensuring peace, trust, stability and predictability is an indispensable condition for the effectiveness of diplomatic work and its multilateral benefits. Particularly illustrative in this context was the year 2025, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, at the initiative of Turkmenistan, as the International Year of Peace and Trust. The international forum marking this event and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality was held in Ashgabat last December. It brought together representatives of 66 states and 30 international organizations, including 11 presidents, 5 heads of government and leaders of 14 international organizations.
The peacebuilding agenda, economy, energy, transport, ecology and the humanitarian sphere have been among the country’s international priorities. At the same time, Turkmenistan’s foreign policy is not static. It represents living, creative thought and action. Relying on an unshakable foundation – permanent neutrality – Turkmenistan’s diplomacy today is shaping approaches to the changing realities.
In early February of the current year, the World Governments Summit was held in Abu Dhabi, discussing global governance and global alliances. A gathering of such a level is, of course, not accidental and reflects global trends that are already shaping and will continue to shape the key foundations of the future world order in politics, economics, ecology, culture, technology and other significant spheres.
Responding to these trends, Turkmenistan believes that the future system of global interaction will be sustainable if it is based on respect for the national identity of states, without imposing ready made “recipes” for political and socio economic organization or cultural, spiritual and ethical frameworks. In Ashgabat, global governance is spoken of as a rational model of relations based on multilateral interests, multilateral benefit and multilateral effectiveness. In Turkmenistan’s view, the combination and alignment of national and universal values provides a worldview foundation for progress and forward development.
At this point, it is important to note Turkmenistan’s position on such a crucial issue as the role of the United Nations in the future world order.
The global organization evidently requires renewal, improvement and optimization—in other words, everything encompassed by the term “reform.” The United Nations Secretary General’s initiative “A Pact for the Future” that he put forward in September 2024 constitutes an important part of this process, which Turkmenistan welcomes and supports. Against the background of various proposals and opinions regarding the role of the United Nations, Turkmenistan insists that it must not only be preserved but also continue to exist and be strengthened as a unique association of peoples and states endowed with universal legitimacy and a mandate, serving as the foundation of civilized dialogue and interaction, including in the resolution of disputes and conflict situations.
In this regard, Turkmenistan maintains a firm position of upholding and defending internationally recognized legal norms as the foundation of the emerging world order, as the building material that will be laid at the core of a more robust, sustainable and just architecture of global security and development. Guided by this, Turkmenistan has put forward a new initiative to proclaim 2028 the Year of International Law, believing that broad support for this proposal would constitute an important step in strengthening the international legal foundations of peace and cooperation and would have long term positive consequences.
Turkmenistan is fully aware of its geopolitical and geo economic position. It enables the country to serve as a connecting bridge between Europe and Asia, as well as one of the key links of the Caspian – Black Sea corridor with access to the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East. It is precisely this strategic factor that determines Turkmenistan’s highly balanced and carefully calibrated approach to international partnership in general and to its foreign policy concept in particular. At the heart of this concept is permanent neutrality. It is from the position of neutrality that Ashgabat carries out peacebuilding and preventive activities in the region and promotes the agenda of peace and trust on the international stage.
Turkmenistan uses its geostrategic position and neutral status exclusively for constructive and creative purposes – to achieve stability, prevent conflicts, stimulate economic and trade relations and ensure the successful integration of the Central Asian region and the Caspian basin into global economic and political processes. The contribution of diplomacy to this process is evident and yields tangible results. It is no coincidence that in his address on the occasion of the Day of Diplomatic Workers of Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the role of diplomats in “implementing an exemplary foreign policy aimed at improving international relations by ensuring peace and security as well as strengthening the position of independent, permanently neutral Turkmenistan in the world.”