Dialogue and regional co-operation key ingredients for peaceful and prosperous Central Asia, says OSCE Chair in Ashgabat

ASHGABAT, 21 May 2019 – Visiting Turkmenistan today, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Slovakia’s Foreign and European Affairs Minister, Miroslav Lajčák, underlined the strategic importance of Central Asia for Eurasian security.

“Co-operation and multilateralism are part of Turkmenistan’s history and culture. This country was crossed by countless merchants, traveling on the Silk Road,”  the Chairperson said.

“Turkmenistan has served as the crossroads of civilizations. So, it makes perfect sense that it should play a pivotal role in building bridges - in bringing actors, neighbours and states together,” he continued, commending Turkmenistan’s commitment to hosting both, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. 

Positive messages on regional co-operation and dialogue, including with Afghanistan, were the Chairperson’s main takeaways from his meetings with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, and Chairperson of the Mejlis Gulshat Mammedova.

Speaking about achievements in the 20 years of OSCE presence in the country, during a lecture at the International University for Humanities and Development, Lajčák stressed that much has been done on building a strong and constructive partnership between the OSCE and Turkmenistan. However, he continued, there is still room for more joint activities in line with Turkmenistan’s strategic priorities, in the fields of rule of law, connectivity, good governance and energy security, but also on facilitating trade and transport co-operation.

Concluding his lecture, he expressed his hope that we are entering an age that will be defined by dialogue and co-operation, calling them the “key ingredients for a peaceful and prosperous Central Asia.“