nCa News and Commentary
Foreign Minister Meredov Conducts Series of Consultations Ahead of International Forum on Peace and Trust
In a coordinated diplomatic initiative on November 13, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held telephone conversations with his counterparts from five countries as part of preparations for the upcoming International Forum on Peace and Trust scheduled for December 12 in Ashgabat.
The consultations encompassed discussions with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates; Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye; Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman; Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Republic of Ghana; and Barry Faure, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of the Republic of Seychelles.
The conversations reflected a consistent pattern of engagement focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation and coordination within international frameworks, particularly the United Nations. With the UAE, Minister Meredov discussed the rapid growth of bilateral relations across political, trade, economic, cultural, and humanitarian spheres, emphasizing cooperation within the UN, OIC, and other multilateral structures. The discussion with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Fidan highlighted the high level of political dialogue and strategic partnership between the two fraternal states, noting positive interaction within the UN and the Joint Territorial Community.
In his conversation with Oman’s Foreign Minister Al Busaidi, Meredov emphasized the commitment to developing political dialogue and intensifying economic cooperation, while acknowledging effective collaboration in authoritative international structures. The discussions with Ghana and Seychelles focused on strengthening bilateral ties in areas of mutual interest and noted the similarities in approaches to global peace and sustainable development.
A central theme across all five conversations was the preparation for the International Forum on Peace and Trust, which will commemorate the International Year of Peace and Trust, the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, and International Neutrality Day. The forum is expected to draw a significant number of heads of state and government, as well as leaders of major international organizations, making it a landmark event in Turkmenistan’s diplomatic calendar.
nCa Commentary by Tariq Saeedi
The Living Architecture of Turkmenistan’s Neutrality: Nature’s Preference for Symmetry
The flurry of diplomatic consultations conducted by Foreign Minister Meredov on November 13 offers more than a glimpse into the mechanics of organizing an international forum. It reveals something fundamental about Turkmenistan’s approach to neutrality—that it is not a passive stance or an inert concept frozen in time, but rather a living, thriving organism that actively engages with the world.
This distinction is crucial. When Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality was recognized by the United Nations General Assembly thirty years ago, it was not merely receiving a certificate to frame and hang on a wall.
The nation was embracing a philosophy of engagement that would prove both dynamic and generative.
Turkmenistan’s version of neutrality finds a striking parallel in nature’s fundamental preference for symmetry. From the bilateral symmetry of living organisms to the radial symmetry of flowers, from the crystalline structures of minerals to the spiral patterns of galaxies, nature consistently gravitates toward balanced forms. This is not coincidental—symmetry represents efficiency, stability, and resilience.
Just as symmetry in nature creates balance, Turkmenistan’s active neutrality seeks equilibrium in international relations. Balance is not static; it is the middle path, the golden mean that ancient philosophers recognized as the route to wisdom and harmony.
In diplomacy, this middle path becomes the foundation for win-win solutions, where the interests of all parties find accommodation without domination or subjugation.
Consider the conversations of November 13 through this lens. Turkmenistan did not speak only with neighbors or only with distant partners, only with large economies or only with island nations, only with Muslim-majority countries or only with secular states. The symmetry was deliberate—spanning continents, cultures, and levels of economic development. This is the middle path in action: maintaining equidistance while remaining genuinely engaged with all.
The International Forum on Peace and Trust that these consultations are preparing represents the fruition of this philosophy. By bringing together heads of state and international organizations under the banner of peace, trust, and neutrality, Turkmenistan is demonstrating that the middle path is not a solitary journey but a convergence point where diverse actors can meet on equal footing.
In a world increasingly characterized by polarization and bloc formation, where nations are pressured to choose sides and zero-sum thinking dominates strategic discourse, Turkmenistan’s living neutrality offers an alternative model. It suggests that balance is not only possible but preferable, that the middle path is not weakness but wisdom, and that symmetry in international relations—like symmetry in nature—creates structures that are both beautiful and enduring.
As December 12 approaches, the world will have an opportunity to observe this philosophy in practice. The forum in Ashgabat will not merely celebrate an anniversary; it will showcase how active, positive neutrality functions as a platform for dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding. In doing so, it will demonstrate that neutrality, properly understood and practiced, is not about standing apart from the world but about creating the balanced space where the world can come together.
This is the essence of Turkmenistan’s contribution to international relations: the recognition that in a complex, interconnected world, the middle path—rooted in balance, animated by engagement, and oriented toward universal benefit—remains the surest route to lasting peace and genuine trust. /// nCa, 14 November 2025