Turkmenistan reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to international peace, security, and nuclear non-proliferation during the visit of Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), who is in Ashgabat to participate in events marking the 30th anniversary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
On June 8, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Robert Floyd and discussed cooperation between Turkmenistan and the CTBTO, as well as broader international efforts aimed at strengthening the global nuclear-test-ban regime.
Expressing gratitude for the meeting, Robert Floyd highly praised Turkmenistan’s foreign policy, which is grounded in the principles of permanent neutrality and focused on promoting international peace and security.
He underscored the importance of cooperation with Turkmenistan for the CTBTO and commended the country’s active role in advancing the ideals embodied in the CTBT.
President Berdimuhamedov noted that 2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, a landmark international agreement aimed at banning all nuclear explosions worldwide. He welcomed the participation of the CTBTO Executive Secretary in a high-level regional conference dedicated to the anniversary and wished him productive meetings during his stay in Turkmenistan.
Robert Floyd expressed appreciation for the warm reception and emphasized that the decision to commemorate the treaty’s anniversary in Turkmenistan reflects the country’s steadfast commitment to peace and international cooperation.
During the meeting, President Berdimuhamedov highlighted that Turkmenistan, firmly adhering to its internationally recognized status of permanent neutrality—affirmed three times by the United Nations—continues to pursue a foreign policy focused on strengthening global and regional security, stability, and sustainable development.
Particular attention was given to Turkmenistan’s active participation in key international non-proliferation instruments, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ).
The President noted that Turkmenistan consistently fulfills its obligations under these agreements and values its constructive partnership with the CTBTO.
The visit also coincided with the opening in Ashgabat of a Regional Workshop and Integrated Training Course for National Data Centers (NDCs), organized by the CTBTO in cooperation with the Government of Turkmenistan, the Institute of Seismology and Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, and the National Data Center of Turkmenistan.
The five-day training program, running from June 8 to 12, has brought together 25 specialists from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The workshop is designed to strengthen the capabilities of national data centers and enhance the effective use of data generated by the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS) and products provided by the International Data Centre (IDC), both of which form the backbone of the Treaty’s verification regime.
The training curriculum includes instruction on accessing and analyzing IMS data, operating the NDC-in-a-Box software suite, and utilizing seismic analysis tools such as SeisComP and Geotool. Participants will also visit Turkmenistan’s National Data Center to gain practical experience and exchange technical expertise.
According to the organizers, the workshop serves as an important platform for technical cooperation and scientific exchange among participating countries, helping to strengthen regional verification capabilities while promoting collaboration among national institutions involved in monitoring compliance with the CTBT.
During his visit, Robert Floyd is also expected to meet with workshop participants and discuss the vital role national data centers play in supporting the CTBT’s global verification architecture.
The simultaneous holding of the high-level anniversary events and the technical workshop underscores the dual significance of the CTBT regime: advancing political commitments to a world free of nuclear testing while continuously strengthening the scientific and technical mechanisms that ensure compliance.
For Turkmenistan, the events reflect the country’s continued support for multilateral disarmament initiatives and its broader commitment to fostering international peace, trust, and security through dialogue and cooperation. /// nCa, 10 June 2026