In this episode of Eurasia Talks, Turkmenistan’s national leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow reaffirms the country’s commitment to neutrality, global cooperation, and economic partnerships.
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00:00Hello, and welcome to this edition of Eurasia Talks. I'm Laura Buckwell. Well, as the world
00:07continues to navigate an ever-evolving geopolitical landscape, Turkmenistan is no exception, and
00:14its decisions around diplomacy, trade, and energy are more critical than ever. So in
00:19this edition of Eurasia Talks, I sit down with the national leader of Turkmenistan,
00:25His Excellency Gurbanguly Berdimahamedov. Well, Your Excellency, thank you very much
00:34for taking the time out to sit with us for this Euronews exclusive interview with the
00:39Western press, I believe. Part of the reason for a bigger push for bigger EU presence in
00:47Central Asia is the Ukraine-Russia conflict. And I know that Turkmenistan very much has
00:54a neutral stance when it comes to peace and tolerance. So I was wondering whether you
00:59could tell us exactly your stance on Russia-Ukraine, and how do you see the recent push for peace
01:07that's happening right now?
01:11Neutrality is the basis of our foreign policy. It clearly defines Turkmenistan's relations
01:19with the global community, even in challenging situations. From the political point of view,
01:32our country, as a permanently neutral state recognized by the United Nations, does not
01:38participate in international conflicts and does not intervene in them. From a legal point
01:52of view, Turkmenistan advocates for resolving all disputes between countries on the basis
01:58of the United Nations Charter and recognized norms of international law. From a worldwide
02:07perspective, Turkmenistan do not support the use of power in international relations. We are
02:14convinced that war is not a solution to problems in the modern world. This has been proved in
02:22practice many times. There is a beautiful Turkmenistan proverb that says, wars do not win.
02:31One of the biggest problems in the region, which is water shortages, that's coupled with rising
02:38economic demand as well for water. So what are your thoughts in terms of coordination between
02:46the international community and government?
02:50We have repeatedly stated in our speeches that the consideration of the entire range of water-related issues in Central Asia
02:59should be based on three key principles.
03:11The first is compliance with international law. This means that water resources are the common heritage of all humanity and their use should be regulated in accordance with universally recognized norms.
03:29Particularly based on United Nations Conventions.
03:40The second is mutual consideration of interests.
03:48This implies that water use should take into account the needs of the peoples of all states.
03:54Thirdly, the participation of international organizations, primarily the United Nations.
04:10We firmly believe that UN involvement in water initiatives strengthens their legitimacy and effectiveness.
04:17Based on this, and with the aim of establishing a mechanism for the use of trans-boundary rivers in the region,
04:28Turkmenistan proposes to establish a regional council on water use in Central Asian countries.
04:36Well, Turkmenistan has very much positioned itself as neutral ground for political negotiations.
04:42And the same is true in regards to Afghanistan.
04:46So I was wondering whether you might be able to give us an update on bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
04:56We want Afghanistan to be a place of peace.
05:01We want Afghans to live in peace and stability, to build their state, and to restore their economy and social sphere.
05:18We advocate for their integration into economic processes and projects both within our region and beyond.
05:31Based on this, Turkmenistan has initiated and is implementing a number of significant and promising economic projects involving Afghanistan.
05:48These include the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline,
05:54power transmission and communication lines through Afghan territory to Pakistan,
06:04and railways from Turkmenistan towards Afghanistan.
06:11Going back to this renewed interest from the EU to Central Asia,
06:16what is your take on this type of coordination and what does it mean exactly for Turkmenistan?
06:24Our country attaches great importance to development of political relations within the European Union.
06:33We support expanding economic partnerships, cooperation in trade, transport, communications, culture, science and education.
06:48We emphasize the significance of inter-parliamentary ties.
06:54In recent years, meetings of the Inter-Parliamentary Dialogue
06:59and sessions of the Turkmenistan-EU Joint Committee have been held regularly in Ashgabat and Brussels.
07:17There is also Turkmenistan-EU Human Rights Dialogue is in place.
07:24We are ready to continue and expand this cooperation.
07:33There is undoubtedly enormous potential in the energy sector.
07:39Today, mutual interest in this area is significantly increasing.
07:44Since the European energy market is one of the largest in the world
07:49and currently requires large-scale and uninterrupted energy supplies
07:54to ensure stable growth of the European economy,
07:59would you be able to tell us a little bit more about your natural gas reserve experience?
08:06So, would you be able to tell us a little bit more about your natural gas reserve expansion plans?
08:15And do you think this might be a key for European gas security? Is that the way forward?
08:24Our country has the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world.
08:29To give a concrete example,
08:34Galkanish Field in Turkmenistan ranks first in the world in terms of gas volumes.
08:47Its reserves amount to 27.4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.
08:53I believe these figures clearly demonstrate that export potential of our country
08:59is able not only to meet its own energy needs,
09:05but also to satisfy the growing demands of its partners,
09:11both within our region and far beyond.
09:17This is confirmed by the major gas pipelines constructed
09:24and successfully operating in eastern, southern and northern directions.
09:32Turkmenistan is one of five Central Asian countries
09:37that is going to be attending this year's World Energy Summit.
09:42Turkmenistan is one of five Central Asian countries
09:46that is going to be attending this summit over in Uzbekistan in just a couple of months' time.
09:51So, I was wondering whether you might be able to share with us
09:55your key message that you're going to take there to the summit.
09:59Is there anything that you could share with our audience?
10:03This will be the first Central Asia European Union summit,
10:10which in itself carries special expectations and meanings.
10:18Today, Central Asia is one of the most significant regions in the world,
10:22with interests rooted in the desire to live and develop
10:26in conditions of peace, security and stability.
10:34The region also engaging with international partners
10:37on an equal and mutually beneficial basis.
10:47At the same time, our countries find the experience, achievements
10:52and potential of the European Union in areas such as economy,
10:56environment, technology and artificial intelligence
11:00to be valuable and relevant.
11:07I think there are good prospects for cooperation
11:11on the global foreign policy agenda,
11:15in ensuring regional security, strengthening borders,
11:19countering drug trafficking and, in a number of other areas,
11:23there are broad opportunities for collaboration.
11:27Well, Your Excellency, thank you so much for taking the time
11:30and for being with us on Euronews. Thank you.
11:35I would like to express my gratitude to you
11:38and the creative team of Euronews for today's interview.
11:43Thank you very much.