Second Ashgabat conference “Parliamentary Diplomacy in the OSCE Area: Dialogue as a Tool for Building Bridges for a Secure and Peaceful Future” was held

On 27-28 November 2024, the Second Ashgabat conference “Parliamentary Diplomacy in the OSCE Area: Dialogue as a Tool for Building Bridges for a Secure and Peaceful Future” was held at the Yyldyz Hotel in Ashgabat.

The event was organized by the Mejlis of Turkmenistan jointly with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA).

The conference was attended by the Chairman and deputies of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, President of the OSCE PA, Special Representative of the OSCE PA for Central Asia, as well as diplomats, international experts, public and political figures, parliamentarians from Austria, Germany, Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Norway, Poland, Romania, France, Croatia, Sweden, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Ukraine. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Turkmenistan’s universities and mass media.

The main objective of the conference is to unite the efforts in strengthening security, stability and dialogue in the OSCE area.

It was noted in the speeches that Turkmenistan is the only country in the world whose legal status of permanent neutrality, in line with the centuries-old traditions of the Turkmen people, has been recognized twice by UN Resolutions. Being an active member of the international community, Turkmenistan does not limit itself to putting forward significant initiatives aimed at developing mutually acceptable partnership, but also takes concrete steps for their practical implementation.

During the sessions of the two-day conference, the participants discussed opportunities for strengthening parliamentary diplomacy to resolve pressing problems of present time.

Views were exchanged on addressing the negative impacts of climate change to ensure the well-being of future generations. Participants noted the important role of youth in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and resolution through diplomacy.

The speakers noted that they support the decisions of the United Nations General Assembly at the parliamentary level, including the work carried out in regard to the unanimous adoption of the UN General Assembly Resolution “International Year of Peace and Confidence, 2025” upon the initiative of Turkmenistan.

The conference participants expressed their gratitude to the Turkmen side for the organization of the meeting and for its constant support of the activities of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.