YouSaid · the spoken record

Boris Shikhmuradov

lines on the record: 46
first: 1997-09-24
most recent: 1999-09-24
sittings or episodes: 3
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“This concerns both large and small nations, the rich and the poor, newly independent and long-existing States. We all face challenges that can be overcome only by means of collective efforts, recognizing at the same time individual responsibilities. Such is the logic of Turkmenistan’s political behaviour and its readiness to be an active Member of the Organization.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We have on numerous occasions stated our position on this issue: we would like to prevent the work on the status of the Caspian Sea from turning from an international law problem into a political problem. In any case, we consider it appropriate at this forum to draw attention to this issue, so that we can avoid the politicization of issues concerning the legal definition and development of the energy resources of the sea and 45 underline Turkmenistan’s readiness for constructive partnership and clearly defined reasonable compromises. The highly complex nature of the tasks facing States Members of the United Nations is clear. The momentous challenges confronting the Organization are commensurate with the hopes of people around the globe, who believe that real change for the better will take place with the change of epochs.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Therefore the implementation of the foreign policy initiative concerning Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, in the form of a special resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 12 December 1995, has a very important meaning in this regard. The development of the extremely rich hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian basin is tied to the interests not only of regional countries but also to those of major Powers and transnational companies. Turkmenistan’s neutrality is aimed at a situation of combined rather than conflicting interests. We believe that in today’s world there can, and should, exist zones of interest, but we resolutely oppose the concept of spheres of influence. The issue concerning the status of the Caspian Sea is highly relevant in this respect.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is our opinion that while encountering some glitches in the work of the mechanism, we should not rush into its complete replacement but should try to properly diagnose the weakness in the available resources. It may be a case of the problem not being in the system itself, but rather in those who are called to represent it at various levels. Turning once again to the problem of the elaboration and implementation of a system to prevent conflicts and ensure safe development, I would like to emphasize that the foreign policy course of neutrality pursued from the outset by Turkmenistan has always been aimed at precisely this goal. It is explicitly mentioned in the Secretary-General’s report that the struggle for control over economic resources is one of the main causes of conflicts.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“That Assembly could provide a unique opportunity to identify the problems that we will face in the future and to undertake a creative process of strengthening and enhancing this unique institution. Statements by heads of delegations at the current session contain many ideas regarding the need to reform the United Nations and the Security Council and to balance the right of veto, among many others. Turkmenistan adheres to the view that while seeking to improve the situation, the most important thing is to take a well-considered and balanced approach to the solution of the issues concerning the destiny of the Organization, rather than cause it harm by becoming hostage to emotions.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“We all have grounds to raise this issue because we have actually encountered a situation that may not be the best one for the United Nations, which has financed a Special Mission in Afghanistan — a Mission that until now has failed to produce any practical results. Smoothly written reports should not substitute for real political work in the field. We share a commonly held view that the United Nations system needs rational reform in the twenty-first century. The Millennium Assembly, on the theme of the United Nations in the twenty-first century, will become a major landmark in this process, and Turkmenistan wholeheartedly supports the idea of holding such a session.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It is precisely this desire that underpinned our initiative of holding two rounds of direct inter-Afghan talks in Ashgabat early this year, which were supported by the two key factions and bore fruit, giving hope for the future. However, in our opinion, this process did not receive adequate support from the outside, from those who are more prone to making declarations of good intentions and advancing their own interests rather than taking practical steps to help the Afghan people. Turkmenistan has been working on the Afghan issue and will continue to work on it under any format of international cooperation, including the mechanism of the “six plus two” group under the auspices of the United Nations, as that mechanism possesses an enormous untapped potential.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“In close relation to the above subject, I would like to draw attention to the situation in Afghanistan, which continues to cause serious concern. Historically, Turkmenistan had close fraternal ties with that long- suffering nation. Hence, we have a sincere interest in the re-establishment of peace and the restoration of Afghanistan. Since the first days of independence, Turkmenistan built its relations with Afghanistan on the basis of mutual trust and respect. Our position is absolutely transparent and clear: neutrality with respect to the parties to the conflict; a constructive attitude towards and a due accounting of the realities of today’s Afghanistan; a desire to engage conflicting parties in a dialogue; and creative economic reconstruction programmes.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Purposeful cooperation between specialized agencies of the United Nations and national Governments makes it possible to identify the main parameters of the conflict- prevention strategy in each individual region. Ever- increasing flows of refugees and displaced persons to 44 neighbouring countries from conflict areas and zones of national disasters are fraught with a certain potential for tension. As regards this important matter, we attach great importance to the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Government of Turkmenistan, together with UNHCR, is implementing an ad hoc programme of assistance to refugees that is based on a joint plan of action.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to express words of gratitude to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and to emphasize its large-scale activities, which merit all-round support. The Government of Turkmenistan, together with UNDP, has undertaken a number of major national projects that have yielded concrete results in the reforms of the social sphere, public health, the system of education and other areas. Turkmenistan intends to continue to maintain close ties with that important agency of the United Nations, with the aim of identifying and implementing new opportunities for cooperation. In view of the major development tasks lying ahead, UNDP personifies for us the United Nations system as a whole.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“Without the active support of our friends, it would be hard to imagine the state of Turkmenistan’s development today, which allows us to look with optimism at the future and to establish long-term programmes of social and economic development. In this regard, we are grateful to our close neighbours — Iran, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, China and India — and our partners in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. From a conceptual point of view, the system of Turkmenistan’s international relations is based on sincerity and reciprocity of mutual interests, neutrality and non-alignment, which form the two pillars of our statehood.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“This phenomenon shows how relevant the problem of statehood is, as well as defining the correct orientation, in choosing the road to development in today’s world. The preservation of national unity, inter-ethnic harmony and social guarantees, coupled with a reasonable pace of reform, can today be considered as the basic universal criteria for ensuring the peaceful development of every nation. This statement is substantiated by the experience of our newly independent State, which managed to avoid many cataclysms in the difficult period of its emerging statehood. This is the eighth time that Turkmenistan has taken part in a session of the General Assembly as an independent subject of international relations.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“It made us take a fresh look at the system of international relations, which was helpless in the face of the new challenges of the times. Nowadays we can no longer write everything off as costs of the cold war. That is why we have paid special attention to the part of the Secretary-General’s report in which he tried to give a analysis of present-day conflicts. Those conflicts, because of the nature of their origins and the dynamics of their evolution, did not always yield to traditional forms and methods for their successful resolution. There is a fact described in the report that requires special consideration, namely, that over the past decade 90 per cent of armed conflicts took place inside States and not between them.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“First of all, permit me to congratulate the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Namibia, Mr. Theo-Ben Gurirab on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I would also like to express words of gratitude to Mr. Didier Opertti Badán for his dynamic and competent work during the entire course of the preceding session. For the United Nations, last year — if it were measured by the magnitude of military and political upheavals — would be equal to a calendar year that thrust upon mankind natural calamities that had catastrophic effects on people. In many respects it was a year from which we had to draw lessons. It made us ponder seriously the political survival of States and the physical protection of people.”
1999-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 54 (1999)
“That Assembly would give all the Member States of the United Nations a unique opportunity to take a look into the future, to ponder how they perceive the United Nations of today and to speculate on what kind of United Nations they will support in the next century.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Proceeding from this position, Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the United Nations role as a unique international institution in which all countries of our planet have equal access to international debate and the resolution of problems that concern them. Turkmenistan believes that on the eve of the twenty- first century the United Nations should acquire additional powers and responsibilities, and strengthen its current ones, by becoming a major factor in establishing a climate of mutual respect and trust both in separate regions and the world as a whole. In conclusion, I would like to recall a proposal made by the Secretary-General regarding the holding of the General Assembly session in the year 2000 in the form of the Millennium Assembly.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The point is that the resolution of today?s global challenges is inconceivable without a meaningful dialogue, an exchange of opinions and a search for ways to resolve the most pressing problems. It is already three years since Turkmenistan began pursuing its policy as a State of permanent neutrality. Turkmenistan?s neutrality is not a shell that protects it from dangers and tribulations of the outside world. On the contrary, it is a position of strength that allows us to actively influence the situation in our region and the world as a whole and to develop effective international cooperation. We seek to maintain equal and equitable relations with all nations, and our national interests are pursued through economic openness and political impartiality.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It faces a great range of universal and global problems of development. In this context, there emerges an objective need for mutual understanding and dialogue among various religious trends, a need for restraint and tolerance. The President of the United States, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Prime Minister of Turkey and the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of Germany and Russia have expressed very wise and politically promising ideas and statements during the current session. In this respect, we find of great interest the idea voiced by the President of Iran, Mr. Khatami, on declaring the year 2001 the year of dialogue between civilizations.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Turkmenistan believes that the search for a new legal status of the Caspian Sea, which would require all littoral States to look for reasonable compromises and display readiness to have an appropriate perception of new realities, should be ensured by means of monitoring by the United Nations. Today the process of establishing a new international legal status of the Caspian Sea confronts a number of difficulties fraught with very negative consequences for regional stability. Under these conditions we consider that United Nations involvement would be highly appropriate. We are happy to see that today there is a growing tendency towards restraint with respect to the attempts aimed at associating extremism and other negative phenomena with the world of Islam. The Muslim world is multifaceted and diverse.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“The uncertainty that exists today with respect to this issue hampers rational use of the enormous potential of the Sea by the littoral States. A majority of the Caspian Sea States today favour the option of dividing the Caspian Sea into different sectors. Turkmenistan also supports this approach, just as it had previously supported the concept of condominium. 29 What is most important to us under either of the two approaches is that the interests of all littoral States should be fully taken into consideration and that cooperation in the Caspian Sea region should be built on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. The Caspian Sea should be a sea of accord, and its wealth should be a common heritage of all littoral States, with each of them having a right to a corresponding national share of the sea.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“It is necessary to fully preclude the possibility of pipelines being used as a means of political pressure and economic domination. The process of globalization in international economic relations calls for the elaboration of an international convention that will govern the regime of inter-State pipelines and guarantee their functioning. Turkmenistan regards this matter as one of the most important challenges of the coming twenty-first century and is prepared to sponsor a document on this matter in the United Nations. A change in the geopolitical situation has brought about a new correlation of interests in the Caspian Sea region, thus making it necessary to elaborate new approaches for the determination of the status of the Caspian Sea.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Usually it is landlocked nations that possess such resources, and the choice of delivery routes and the location of transnational pipelines has turned into a major problem of our times. The resolution of this problem lies at the centre of the geopolitical and geoeconomic interests of the States that own the resources, the transit States and the consumer countries. In this respect, Turkmenistan promotes the initiative of security guarantees and unimpeded transit of energy resources along international pipelines. This initiative has already been discussed with a number of State leaders, as well as with the United Nations Secretary-General. We advocate the establishment of an international legal mechanism designed to protect the interests of the producers, transit countries and the consumers.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Their international legal recognition is called for by the economic and political interests of the world community in developing mutual relations. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adopted in 1982, reaffirmed the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation through straits and passages in archipelago waters and the need to do so. Freedom of navigation, which existed in the past as an international custom, was legally codified as one of the most important principles of international law. In this context, of great interest are modern problems relating to the transportation of energy resources to international markets. It so happens that these enormous resources are located far away from the world markets.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“In developing a strategy for the implementation of pipeline construction projects, we have proceeded and continue to proceed on the basis of various options. Pipeline infrastructure based on a variety of options will ensure an increased volume and greater diversification of energy deliveries, and will enable us to stabilize and guarantee their international distribution. There is one more issue that I would like to dwell upon in this context. It concerns inter-State pipeline routes. The problem of international pipeline routes can well be compared to that of international sea straits, which was one of the most complex political and diplomatic challenges at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Today such straits ensure freedom of navigation, including for landlocked States.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Turkmenistan will continue to cooperate closely with the United Nations in this regard. Interaction among Afghanistan?s neighbouring countries, the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and all the parties concerned should lead to the termination of one of the most protracted and violent conflicts of this century. In view of the global changes that are taking place in the sphere of international relations, Turkmenistan believes that development of the Central Asian region objectively deserves the attention of the world. The States of that region have opened to the world a huge geopolitical and geoeconomic potential, enormous natural wealth, and geographical and transport opportunities. Turkmenistan is vigorously seeking alternative routes for delivery of its energy resources to international markets.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Turkmenistan shares the opinion that there is no alternative to a peaceful, negotiated settlement in that country and that violence gives birth to violence and will only lead the process to a dead end. That is why we in Turkmenistan believe that the road to peace in that long- suffering nation lies through political negotiations among all parties to the conflict under the auspices of the United Nations. Turkmenistan fully supports the efforts of the United Nations, its Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and his Special Envoy, Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi, and joint steps undertaken within the framework of the 6 + 2 mechanism. Turkmenistan?s President, Mr. Saparmurat Niyazov, maintains constant contacts regarding this matter with the Secretary-General and with the leaders of neighbouring States.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“I would like to take this opportunity to express on behalf of the Government of Turkmenistan our gratitude to the missions of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Children?s Fund (UNICEF), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other United Nations agencies, the positive results of whose work in Turkmenistan cannot be overestimated. Turkmenistan also expresses its gratitude to the donor countries supporting those programmes in our country. 28 We are gravely concerned about the continuing armed conflict in Afghanistan because it has a negative impact on the stability of the region and on its economic development. Its impact also bears on Turkmenistan, which has one of the longest borders with Afghanistan, stretching for nearly 1,000 kilometres.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“A recent wave of terrorist acts around the world, including the bombings in Tanzania and Kenya and the killing of Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan, requires consolidation of efforts by the world community and decisive action. Turkmenistan resolutely fights against those negative phenomena and is prepared to contribute to the implementation of special United Nations programmes aimed at eradicating these evils. Turkmenistan welcomes the strengthening of the framework mechanism for interaction among all organizations of the United Nations system.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Although we know that accession by several countries more is still lacking for the Convention?s entry into force, Turkmenistan by its example would like to call on other States Members of the Organization to join the Convention, adding their voices in its support — or rather in support of their citizens working for the United Nations. The Secretary-General?s proposal concerning real partnerships between the United Nations and multilateral regional organizations seems to be highly relevant, because regional organizations are especially effective in early warning and preventive diplomacy, as well as in finding optimal ways to carry out globalization. The proposal on the establishment of a special unit to combat crime, terrorism, drug and weapons trafficking and money-laundering is very timely.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“One of the major problems confronting the community of nations is how to better understand emerging socio-economic forces and the modalities of globalization, and how to channel them towards the fulfilment of our requirements. Acting within the framework of the United Nations, Turkmenistan is expanding the scope of its responsibilities within the world community of nations. I have the honour to inform the Assembly that yesterday, here at United Nations Headquarters, Turkmenistan signed the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Furthermore, today, during my meeting with the Secretary-General, I handed him the instrument of Turkmenistan?s accession to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel, signed by the President of Turkmenistan.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“First of all, permit me to congratulate Mr. Didier Opertti, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, on his election to the post of President of the General Assembly. I would also like to address words of gratitude to Mr. Hennadiy Y. Udovenko for the dynamic and competent manner in which he carried out his duties as President of the previous session of the General Assembly. We have very attentively studied the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization and have a very positive opinion of it. The quiet revolution begun by the Secretary-General one year ago — the institutional reform of the United Nations — has become an irreversible process tied to the rapidly changing conditions of our new era.”
1998-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 53 (1998)
“Saparmurat Niyazov which, in particular, states, first, that our political philosophy and all our actions are free of any self-serving interests and are primarily aimed at strengthening peace and raising the economic well-being and cultural and educational level of its peoples; secondly, that the United Nations can be fully convinced that Turkmenistan is prepared to give the Organization its maximum possible assistance; and, finally, that the United Nations can count on Turkmenistan in all its initiatives and endeavours in the region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This is the right of every State. However, we, like our partners in the Non-Aligned Movement, unequivocally object to the existence of zones of unilateral domination. We stand for the principle of open land as well as that of open skies. While building its relations with all States on the basis of the principles of equality and mutual respect, neutral Turkmenistan does not divide its partners into categories of close or remote, big or small, because that runs counter to the political logic of our times. Today, during my meeting with Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary- General of the United Nations, I delivered to him a personal message from the President of Turkmenistan, Mr.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Coming from a region that has suffered the horrors of this so-called indiscriminate type of weapon, Turkmenistan is convinced that it is a timely and highly relevant treaty. At the end of the twentieth century international relations are characterized by one specific feature: the right of choice that is enjoyed today by an unprecedentedly large number of independent nations and States. This right is becoming an increasingly stable trend strengthened by greater tolerance and patience in international relations. Participation or non-participation in one or another political or economic grouping is no longer considered, nor can it be considered, through the 24 prism of the formula “If you are not with us, you are against us”. Turkmenistan does not object to the idea of the existence of the great Powers regional interests.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“I believe it is highly important to draw the Assembly s attention to Turkmenistan s sincere commitment to the efforts of the international community to bring about the complete banning of the production and proliferation of all types of weapons of mass destruction. Turkmenistan fully subscribes to the Ottawa process for the elimination of anti-personnel landmines. In 1996 and 1997, together with Canada, Turkmenistan actively participated in international forums in Vienna, Bonn, Oslo, Brussels and Ashgabat, which have been major milestones on the road towards the signing of the treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, which is to be signed in December this year in Ottawa.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“During the past several years Turkmenistan has maintained a consistent and principled approach to this issue, emphasizing that the disappearance of the southern borders of the former Soviet State gave rise to the formation of a new region unified by the common purpose of accelerating economic development and strengthening its political and State structures. Today it is inconceivable that Turkmenistan should exist without equally close ties within this region — with Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and other neighbours. We are firmly convinced that the former Soviet “Central Asian 5” have quite logically been transformed into the “Central Asian 10” and that the United Nations and its different agencies should bear in mind this objective reality when formulating their approaches to the region.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“This approach has been confirmed by the recently issued international tender for the development and exploration of oil and gas deposits in the Turkmen zone of the Caspian Sea. We cannot but express our satisfaction at the lifting of artificial barriers to the gas pipeline from Turkmenistan through Iran to Turkey and Europe. We consider this a good sign from the United States, a sign that it is ready to support our efforts to strengthen our sovereignty and independent national economy. In this context, allow me also to express our satisfaction at the fact that the Secretary-General s report and other recent documents of the Organization have at last more clearly defined the notion of Central Asia, which includes many more States as compared with the old central Asian part of the former Soviet Union.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Turkmenistan believes that, in the intensification of international cooperation, the resolution of crises in Central Asia and the use of preventive measures aimed at precluding their recurrence because of conflicting claims of States to ownership rights over natural resources, it is necessary to take into account the global challenges of the twenty-first century, which call for the early development of additional and alternative means for the rational distribution of energy-producing raw materials on world markets. Turkmenistan possesses the world s third largest gas deposits, and it has huge oil reserves and other mineral resources. It is ready to take part in open and broad-based international cooperation in this endeavour.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“At its summit meeting held last May in Ashgabat, the regional Economic Cooperation Organization, which today comprises 10 nations, formulated a strategic programme for the development of transport, energy, pipeline and telecommunication infrastructures. Its implementation not only corresponds to the interests of the participating States but also creates opportunities for the delivery of energy carriers, oil, gas and oil products to international markets in Europe and Asia from the enormously rich deposits in the Caspian Sea basin and the entire Central Asian area.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“While it is a secular and democratic State in Asia, Turkmenistan also considers itself a traditional oriental society that, by virtue of its geopolitical destiny, finds itself at the juncture of two regions, involving it simultaneously in Asian and European international affairs. Against the backdrop of the global energy potential of our State, this factor forms the basis of the United Nations-supported strategy of Turkmenistan s neutrality, which today acquires practical significance for the Organization. All our political efforts today are aimed at creating a favourable atmosphere for economic development, both of the entire region and of every country in particular.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“We are happy to be witnessing today a greater display of restraint with regard to simplistic attempts aimed at associating extremism and other negative 23 phenomena with the world of Islam. The Muslim world like any other — for example, Christianity — is multifaceted and diverse. It confronts a whole complex of universal problems of development, and it is being mobilized to overcome conflicts and combat manifestations of uncivil social behaviour. The need for this was emphasized by the Secretary- General in his report to the current session of the General Assembly.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Saparmurat Niyazov, maintains constant contact regarding this matter with Mr. Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General, and with the leaders of the neighbouring States of Iran, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Turkmenistan pins great hopes on the forthcoming summit meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), to be held in Tehran in December this year, which will give the Muslim world an opportunity to determine at the highest level the guidelines for the resolution of the prolonged Afghan crisis, which has today become a bleeding wound for the Afghan people and an obstacle preventing the region from implementing major economic programmes. Turkmenistan has always believed, and still believes, that conflict situations emerging in the OIC s geographical area should be resolved through its joint efforts with the United Nations.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In this context, we attach particular significance to the efforts of the Secretary-General s special envoys Mr. Norbert Hall and Mr. Lakhdar Brahimi. Turkmenistan was involved in the implementation of peacemaking programmes in the region by hosting a series of inter-Tajik talks and by organizing, together with the United Nations, a major international conference on humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Turkmenistan resolutely supports and will support to the utmost the earliest possible convening of an international conference on Afghanistan with the participation of all its immediate neighbours and, in the future, the holding of conference with the participation of the Powers vested with special international authority and capable of making a practical contribution towards the settlement. The President of Turkmenistan, Mr.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“In our view, a rational increase in the number of permanent members of the Security Council primarily calls for the inclusion of such States as Japan and Germany — vested with all corresponding rights and powers — because they can make a constructive input and have greater political objectiveness with respect to the work of the Security Council. There is an issue of special interest and concern for Turkmenistan, as well as for all the countries of the region: the question of Afghanistan. We are glad to note that this question finds an increasingly prominent place in the agenda of the United Nations and in the activities of its agencies, ad hoc bodies and the Security Council. We feel special gratitude for the Secretary-General for his continuing efforts to give a new impetus to the intra- Afghan settlement.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Turkmenistan supports the Secretary-General s programme to reform the entire United Nations system and the functioning of its bodies — in particular the Secretariat — and to tailor the financial resources of the Organization to its planned activities. We share the conclusion in the report that the reform of the United Nations should be radical and not gradual. However, we believe that the reforms should not be carried out as a revolutionary overhaul, especially when it comes, for example, to the Security Council, which after it becomes more representative should still remain an effectively functioning body that should not supplant the General Assembly.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)
“Allow me to congratulate Mr. Udovenko, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on his election to the post of President of the General Assembly. His election signifies recognition of Ukraine s great prestige in the world, respect for and confidence in the country s foreign policy, and the personal and professional qualities of the new President. We are sincerely grateful to Ambassador Razali Ismail for his remarkable diplomatic talent and efficient performance of the President s functions during the previous session of the General Assembly. First of all, allow me to express our satisfaction with the report presented by the Secretary-General. It is an innovative and specific document devoid of many of the weaknesses typical of similar documents in the past.”
1997-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 52 (1997)