President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov addressed the participants of the international conference “Foreign policy of neutral Turkmenistan: Cooperation for Peace and Progress"", dedicated to the Day of diplomatic workers of Turkmenistan with a welcoming speech. Congratulating the participants with the opening of this forum, the Head of State, in particular, said: “Being committed to the principles of peace and strictly following the policy of neutrality, Turkmenistan maintains diplomatic relations with 142 countries of the world and is a member of 44 international organizations. Today dozens of countries in Asia, Europe, America and other major regions of the world, our diplomatic corps successfully carry out their mission on the development of bilateral relations and ensuring national interests. Since the early days of independence Turkmenistan is actively pursuing a policy of positive neutrality in international relations. On December 12th, 1995 and on June 3rd, 2015 General Assembly of the United Nations has twice unanimously adopted the resolution on “Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan”, which is evidence of appreciation and broad support for the foreign policy of our state. The adoption by UN General Assembly on 2nd of February 2017 of the Resolution on the annual celebration of International Day of Neutrality on December 12th, has become a historical landmark. The decision of the Community of Nations was the recognition of the enormous role of neutrality in maintaining stability in the world. This is consistent with the goals of peace and sustainable development of all countries and peoples, preservation of cultural and humanitarian values. In these days Turkmenistan has entered a new historical stage of development. Invaluable experience, accumulated in the past and in modern time has become very important for certain movement into the future. First of all, this is reflected in our successfully implemented long-term strategic program based on in-depth geopolitical analysis. Relying on the international legal status of neutrality and positive experience, Turkmenistan will continue to systematically develop international relations. To this end, we have adopted the “Concept of foreign policy of neutral Turkmenistan in the years 2017-2023.” The main objective of this important document is to provide the necessary conditions for successful movement of Turkmenistan on the path of peaceful development. Based on this, our country will defend its national interests in the international arena and will further strengthen its credibility. In the coming years, Turkmenistan aims its foreign policy initiatives on the key areas of international relations. The focus will be on cooperation in issues of global peace and security, the implementation of sustainable development goals and resolution of relevant issues on the agenda of the international community. Our country also will make significant contribution to the implementation of sustainable development goals formulated by the Community of Nations. To this end specific plans for the most important areas of cooperation have already been outlined, in particular, in the areas of energy security, water supply, environmental protection and ecology, development of transport and communications systems. With regard to security, Turkmenistan believes that at first it is necessary to eliminate the causes of disputes and conflicts using the mechanisms of preventive diplomacy. Secondly, all the international issues should be resolved by political and diplomatic methods. In this regard, Turkmenistan has repeatedly, including from the rostrum of the United Nations, acted with significant initiatives. As an active participant in the arena of international relations, Turkmenistan makes a worthy contribution to the development of partnership in areas such as sustainable energy security, sustainable transport and communication systems, and resolution of environmental issues. Our government will continue to cooperate in these areas, in fact, using effective tools of energy, transport, and water diplomacy. We will consistently strengthen cooperation with major international organizations, including the UN, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Non-Aligned Movement and other authoritative bodies Our independent state will effectively use all opportunities for the development of global economic relations. Guided by this purpose, Turkmenistan will continue to strengthen partnerships with leading organizations - International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank. Our country will also develop cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, which is one of the basic conditions and a key factor of sustainable development. In this context, we will take an active part in dealing with refugees, stateless persons and migrants. We will continue to cooperate with the Office of High Commissioner for Refugees of the United Nations, International Organization for Migration, International Red Cross Committee and other reputable humanitarian organizations.”