On July 17, 2024, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the head of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) office in Turkmenistan, Ms. Jalpa Ratna.

Having presented her credentials and expressing deep gratitude for the time devoted to the meeting, the UNICEF representative thanked the head of state for the warm welcome and all possible assistance in the development of established constructive bilateral cooperation, within the framework of which many important joint projects and programs have been implemented in recent years.

Having warmly welcomed Jalpa Ratna to the ancient and hospitable Turkmen land, the President of the country first of all congratulated her on her appointment as head of the UN Children's Fund office in Turkmenistan and wished her great success in her work in this responsible position.

As emphasized, active cooperation with authoritative international organizations, primarily with the Community of Nations and its specialized structures, is one of the main directions of the foreign policy of neutral Turkmenistan.

In this regard, the consistent and highly effective nature of the established relations between Turkmenistan and UNICEF was especially noted. As is known, our state was unanimously elected as a member of the UNICEF Executive Board for 2024–2026, which is the proof of the effectiveness of the country’s long-term interaction with the Children’s Fund.

Currently, our partnership is carried out within the framework of the UNICEF country program for Turkmenistan for 2021–2025. This year, ten documents were signed with the ministries and departments of our country, including a work plan in the field of child health, nutrition, early development, social security and inclusive education, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized.

During the conversation, it was noted with satisfaction that the legislative framework in the field of child protection is constantly being improved in Turkmenistan. Thus, the National Action Plan for the implementation of children’s rights for 2023–2028 was approved.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov confirmed Turkmenistan’s interest in further continuing a comprehensive partnership with the UN Children’s Fund, wishing the head of the UNICEF Ashgabat office, Ms. Jalpa Ratna, good health and success in her work.