12-12-05 December 1995 on the decision of UN General Assembly, Turkmenistan was recognized permanently neutral state. Thus during ten years the status has been the base of the country’s external policy and provided Turkmenistan’s non-interference into inter-state conflicts and avoidance of involvement into any military blocks.
In his presentation at the 50th General Assembly session, Saparmurat Turkmenbashi retravelled and clarified this decision.

Turkmenistan occupies one of the important world crossroads and has a fourth place in gas reserves. These facts prove the accuracy of our policy of neutrality, which will meet interests of international cooperation with regard to the country’s geographical position.
In the recent ten years the concept “positive neutrality” is striking roots. Taking into account financial problems of a range of countries -- consumers of Turkmenistan gas -- the latter has performed as economic donor to its partners.

Apart from that, in the mid-90s delegations of the Tajikistan government and oppositions sat down at the table of negotiations in Ashgabat. It was Turkmenistan, where inter-Afghan talks on international humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan were held under the UN aegis in January 1999. At present 70 % of humanitarian cargoes to the country are delivered via Turkmenistan territory.
The country will proceed with work on use of its neutral status in favour of regional security.

Turkmenistan offered creation in the region of a UN Centre for Preventive Diplomacy at the first round of the Forum on Prevention of Conflicts and Sustainable Development in Central Asia, held in Ashgabat in 2003. Resting on fundamental principles of its external policy, Turkmenistan resolved its associated membership in the CIS.
The neutral model positively told on development of political, socioeconomic and democratic reforms. In the recent ten years the country has overcome its primary direction and is dynamically developing as a country with a socially oriented economy. The country’s annual growth is 20-21 %, $ 39 bn has been invested in the economy and a textile industry was also created in the republic. At present, the textile industry satisfies both demands of internal and external markets in Russia, the US and Western Europe.

An oil processing base has been established in the petrol sector too: 85 % of extracted petrol is processed in the republic.
Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan relations are developing fruitfully. The republic is one of the main Kazakhstan economic partners, in particular in such spheres as oil, transport and industry. Moreover, the two countries are actively cooperating in the framework of negotiations on determination of the Caspian status and strengthening of regional security.

This statement was prepared by the Turkmenistan Embassy in Kazakhstan.