Talks with the Head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism

On May 28, 2026, during the visit to the United States, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov met with Acting Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Alexander Zuev.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the high level and strategic nature of the long-standing partnership between Turkmenistan and the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

Special emphasis during the talks was placed on the historic significance of the adoption on May 20, 2026, of the United Nations General Assembly resolution “The role and importance of a policy of neutrality in maintaining and strengthening international peace, security and sustainable development”. It was stressed that this document became another confirmation of the broad international recognition of the country’s peaceful foreign policy course.

Within the framework of implementing the provisions of the resolution, the parties thoroughly reviewed four major international initiatives of Turkmenistan, namely: the establishment of an Academic Center for the Study of Peace, Neutrality and Preventive Diplomacy on the basis of the Department of Peace and Neutrality created at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the creation in Turkmenistan of a Chamber of Mediation for Peace as a concrete mechanism for the peaceful settlement of disputes; the joint development with the United Nations of Guidelines on the Observance and Implementation of the Principles of Neutrality; as well as the promotion of the initiative of the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov to develop a Global Security Strategy based on the norms of international law.

A separate topic of discussion was the strengthening of regional and global security. In this context, the Turkmen side expressed its commitment to further supporting the activities of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

In order to enhance the effectiveness of collective efforts against international threats, Turkmenistan presented in detail the initiative to establish a Programme Office of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in Ashgabat. This office will become a key analytical and expert platform in the region.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the sides confirmed their mutual readiness to further deepen cooperation, implement joint programs, and train highly qualified diplomatic personnel.