The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, held key talks with the Acting Under-Secretary-General of the UN and Head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT), Alexander Zuev, during his visit to the United States.
The meeting, held on 28 May 2026, demonstrated the strategic and long-standing partnership between Turkmenistan and the United Nations.
The central topic of discussion was the practical implementation of the recent UN General Assembly resolution, “The role and significance of the policy of neutrality in maintaining and strengthening international peace, security and the sustainable development process,” which was unanimously adopted on 20 May 2026. This document underscores the broad international recognition of Ashgabat’s peace-loving foreign policy.
Four Global Initiatives from Ashgabat
To operationalize the provisions of the new resolution, Turkmenistan presented four large-scale international initiatives at the UN, designed to transform the architecture of preventive diplomacy:
- Academic Center: A proposal to establish an Academic Center for the Study of Peace, Neutrality, and Preventive Diplomacy on the basis of the Chair of Peace and Neutrality at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
- Chamber of Mediation: A proposal to open a Chamber of Mediation for Peace within Turkmenistan. This structure will serve as a concrete and flexible mechanism for the peaceful settlement of interstate disputes.
- Legal Guidelines: A joint initiative with the UN to develop comprehensive Guidelines on the observance and implementation of the principles of neutrality.
- Security Strategy: Turkmenistan will continue to actively promote the initiative of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to form a Global Security Strategy, strictly based on the norms of international law.
Counter-Terrorism Hub in Central Asia
The sides paid special attention to strengthening collective action against transboundary threats. In this context, Turkmenistan detailed its initiative to establish a UNOCT Program Office in Ashgabat.
The new office is intended to become a key analytical and expert platform for the entire Central Asian region.
In addition, the Turkmen side reaffirmed its full support and commitment to further strengthening the role of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).
Following the meeting, Rashid Meredov and Alexander Zuev confirmed their mutual readiness to deepen cooperation, launch new joint programs, and train the next generation of highly qualified diplomatic personnel. /// nCa, 29 May 2026 (photo credit: UNOCT)