Читать книгу Foreign Policy of Turkmenistan in the Late XX – Early XXI Centuries - - Страница 4

Every year Turkmenistan strengthens mutually beneficial economic cooperation with dozens of countries of the world. With the help of foreign investors, hundreds of production, household and cultural facilities for hundreds of millions of dollars were built and put into operation. Turkmenistan turned out to be favorable for investing from Russia, Germany, Turkey, Austria, Iran, France, China, and many other countries. The construction of the Tejen – Serakh – Mashhad railway line, a trans-Afghan gas pipeline, the country’s representative office in the Organization for Economic Cooperation (ECO), in other international organizations shows the world the huge potential of the Turkmen model of neutrality. The modern politics of Turkmenistan is characterized by the words of the great Turkmen poet, philosopher, thinker Makhtumkuli: “There is no need to say either annoyed or evil – my people do not accept evil.”

Turkmenistan, being an equal subject of international law, was actively involved in the process of establishing and establishing interstate ties. In a short period by historical standards, Turkmenistan managed to determine its place in the system of modern international relations.

Currently, Turkmenistan has established diplomatic relations with more than 120 states of the world, has become a member of more than 40 international organizations. Diplomatic missions and consular offices of Turkmenistan are open in 26 countries of the world. In turn, more than 30 diplomatic missions of foreign countries and missions of international organizations are accredited in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan has its representatives in such international organizations as the UN, ECO, CIS, EU, OSCE, NATO, UNESCO, etc.

Turkmenistan maintains a real interest among other states in actions that contribute to the strengthening of this status. These actions take on various forms: political, economic, humanitarian, etc. Thus, over the past years, results have been achieved that have made it possible to seriously strengthen the position of Turkmenistan, which carries out peacekeeping activities in the region. For example, under the auspices of the UN, three rounds of inter-Tajik negotiations took place in Ashgabat, the results of which gave an important effect to resolve the internal national conflict in Tajikistan.

In addition, Turkmenistan organized a wide inter-Afghan round table, and on January 21—22, 1997, an international forum on Afghanistan was held in Ashgabat. Several rounds of inter-Afghan talks also took place there.

In this regard, it is appropriate to quote the words of Mohammad Nalir Zahir, First Secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Turkmenistan: “Today Turkmenistan is one of the few states that have consistently peaceful borders with all neighbors. This was achieved, in my opinion, due to the neutrality observed by the state and the “open door” policy proclaimed by the President of Turkmenistan, that is, those two important factors that help peacefully resolve conflicts by resolving all controversial issues exclusively at the negotiating table.

At the global level, Turkmenistan managed to build even partnerships with great powers and the main world centers of power – the United States, Russia, the European Union, China. In fact, the line declared by President Niyazov several years ago on Turkmenistan’s “equal advantage” to them (these centers), if we are talking about the combination of their interests in the region on the basis of fair and healthy competition, and, conversely, “equidistance” from them, when there is a question about the division (or rather, division) of spheres of influence.

At the regional level, Turkmenistan has established good-neighborly and equal relations with neighboring countries, major regional powers such as Iran and Turkey, Pakistan and India. Despite the ambiguity of relations between them, on the Turkmen geopolitical “platform” the interests of these states never entered into contradictions.

The fundamental and unconditional refusal to participate in international military and military-political groups and blocs allowed Turkmenistan not to be drawn into any form of regional rivalry. As well as the temptation of anyone to attract Turkmen military and economic resources to their side in potential conflicts. The military strategy of Turkmenistan is purely defensive in nature, it clearly spells out a ban on the use of the Turkmen Armed Forces outside its borders. This allowed Turkmenistan, without spraying financial, material and human resources for use outside the country, to focus on strengthening its own defense capability, modernizing the national army in accordance with modern requirements. Today, according to both Western and Russian experts, the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan are one of the most equipped and combat-ready in the region (which, however, is typical for neutral countries and in other parts of the world, for example, Switzerland and Sweden). At the same time, Turkmenistan does not refuse military-technical, but not conditioned by political requirements of cooperation at the bilateral level. With countries such as the USA, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, it has been developing for several years and quite successfully. The same can be said about international cooperation in the fight against common threats for the region – terrorism, drug trafficking, transnational organized crime.

The neutral status of Turkmenistan, which determines the minimum level of foreign policy risks, coupled with the richest resource potential and internal stability, predetermined great interest in the country from first-class foreign companies and ensured a serious inflow of foreign capital into the national economy. Today, companies from the USA, Japan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Arab states, Malaysia, China, India, EU states are successfully operating in Turkmenistan. With their participation, the textile industry was erected from scratch, the oil and gas complex and agriculture were modernized, large-scale road and housing construction was underway, the communication infrastructure was practically re-equipped, and the hotel business was developing. According to the World Bank, in terms of foreign direct investment per capita, Turkmenistan, since 1999, has consistently held a leading position in the post-Soviet space.

Having become an independent and sovereign state, Turkmenistan took its worthy place in the Community of Nations, in practice proving the correctness of its own development path, combining national identity and the achievements of modern civilization. Over the past short period by historical standards, Turkmenistan has withstood difficult tests with honor and has established itself as part of the world community not only as a sovereign and secular state, but also having a generally recognized status of permanent neutrality.

On the example of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy, developed and implemented under the leadership of the first President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, the world community witnessed the emergence of a qualitatively new model in the practice of international relations. Turkmenistan offered the world the concept of peaceful and stable coexistence and development in the complex region of Central Asia.

Remaining faithful to the declared foreign policy and international obligations arising from its neutral status, independent Turkmenistan did not participate in any armed conflict, did not join any military, military-political alliance or bloc, nor did it join any international structure with functions beyond the scope of humanitarian assistance.

The main guidelines of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy were and remain the internal interests of the country, the solution of its socio-economic problems. It must meet the fundamental national interests, proceed from the primary and urgent problems of its own people and, first of all, the tasks of preserving sovereignty and independence, ensuring the processes of forming the statehood of Turkmenistan, protecting territorial integrity and creating conditions that ensure the stability and irreversibility of political and economic reforms.

The priority direction of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy in the long term is cooperation with the United Nations. The UN is not only a tribune with which states have the opportunity to express their views on certain issues of concern to them. Turkmenistan shares the thesis that the UN is designed to become the main and ineligible mechanism in ensuring comprehensive peace and security, the highest international authority in resolving emerging disputes and conflicts, and the UN Charter is the foundation of the world order of the 21st century. All possible assistance to increase the UN’s consolidating capacity, expand its peacekeeping functions, support the humanitarian initiatives of the organization and its specialized institutions – this sees Turkmenistan as its main task as a full member of the UN. Based on this, Turkmenistan will continue to actively cooperate with the UN, its structures and institutions, assisting them in the implementation of program goals and statutory tasks. The Turkmen National Association of UN Assistance will contribute to the effective implementation of this task.

Bilateral cooperation has been and remains a priority in Turkmenistan’s foreign policy. That is why its most important component in the next century will be, first of all, the further strengthening of cooperation with neighboring states, aimed at creating an environment of peace, harmony and good neighborliness in the region. Turkmenistan believes that only on the basis of mutual trust, non-interference in internal affairs, respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, respect for the choice of each country of its own model of socio-political and socio-economic development, it is possible to provide conditions for the true well-being and progress of the peoples inhabiting the region.

Turkmenistan is entering the 21st century with clearly defined priorities for bilateral cooperation with neighboring countries, which is reflected in the “Long-Term Cooperation Program until 2010.”

The region of Asia, in which Turkmenistan is located, being the territory of a number of internal conflicts, undoubtedly has huge development potential. The most important prerequisite for this is the prospects for fruitful cooperation between the peoples of the region – the heirs of the richest centuries-old culture, deep historical traditions of peacefulness and good neighborliness. They have repeatedly proved their ability to independently find ways of consent and reconciliation, while rejecting any violent intervention from outside.

Turkmenistan is committed to the dynamic development of regional cooperation, which is confirmed by the example of the revival of the activities of the Organization for Economic Cooperation (IVF). Countries – members of IVF with more than 310 million people demonstrate the emergence of an influential subject of international relations, which at the same time indicates the birth of a new regional community, logically corresponding to the historical laws of the cultural and civilization unity of related peoples. The logic of cooperation between IVF member countries in the name of the revival of the region and the prosperity of its peoples fully coincides with the basic principles of Turkmenistan’s neutrality. The course towards the continuation of the “open door” policy will remain the core of Turkmenistan’s foreign economic strategy.

Turkmenistan in the 21st century in its regional policy will remain invariably committed to the principles of neutrality, non-interference in the internal affairs of neighboring countries, rejection of military force, active peacekeeping under the auspices of the UN, good neighborliness and cooperation.

Based on convention norms and world practice, Turkmenistan establishes a regime of free movement of foreign citizens throughout its territory.

In the next century, Turkmenistan intends to continue the implementation of the open-door economic strategy. The challenges faced by humanity at the turn of the millennium – the deepening energy crisis, disproportionate distribution of resources, food shortages – are fraught with serious shocks that pose the danger of undermining security and stability at the national and regional levels, irrational and inadequate perception by entire peoples and continents of their own destiny. In this context, in its foreign economic activity, Turkmenistan sees the main task in the withdrawal to international markets of serious resources that it possesses, first of all, energy.

Turkmenistan has consistently advocated a multivariable approach to the development of international energy pipeline infrastructure based on economic feasibility, for the triggering of the principle of supplementation, and not replacing one project with another. At the same time, when considering any projects, Turkmenistan is a supporter of a balance of interests and mutual benefits of all parties involved, the creation of an international legal mechanism aimed at ensuring the interests of suppliers, transit countries and consumers. Turkmenistan categorically does not accept the use of pipelines as an instrument of political pressure and economic diktat.

Our research results showed that Turkmenistan attaches particular importance to relations with neighboring countries with which it is associated with historical, political, economic and cultural ties. Turkmenistan considers relations with them, wide cooperation in all spheres as the most important guarantee of the preservation of its sovereignty and neutral status, the successful achievement of its foreign policy goals.

The foreign policy situation of Turkmenistan is such that its interests are faced with the interests of not only neighboring countries in the region, but also non-CIS countries.

In the current situation in Afghanistan, Turkmenistan cannot stand aside, since its security issues are directly related to the situation in Afghanistan, with which it borders. In this regard, Turkmenistan supports all projects related to improving the situation in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, as well as in order to improve the economic condition of Afghanistan, it designs and tries to implement projects in the energy and hydrocarbon spheres. Today, there is a project to deliver gas to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and later on its territory, laying pipes for the transportation of Turkmen gas to non-CIS countries. In this case, Afghanistan will receive cheap Turkmen gas, and it will also be possible to receive payment for the use of Afghan territory, that is, for transit. Official Ashgabat provides its airports to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, as well as to refuel aircraft that carry humanitarian aid. Turkmenistan connects the gas issue with the Russian side, which is very important for both states. Evidence of this is the controversial situations that have arisen recently.