The President of Turkmenistan met with the Assistant to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees

On November 8, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdivela, Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Expressing gratitude for the time devoted to the meeting, the guest presented the head of state with the appropriate certificate from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and cordially congratulated him on this achievement. The document notes that, recognizing the great achievements in the elimination of statelessness in Turkmenistan, the Office highly appreciates the ongoing work to protect the rights to citizenship for all residents of the country.

Taking this opportunity, Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdivela conveyed warm greetings to the President of Turkmenistan from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. In this context, it was noted that the UN attaches great importance to cooperation with neutral Turkmenistan, which promotes initiatives to strengthen global peace and trust.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov thanked for the kind words and addressed his best wishes to the top leadership of the United Nations.

The Head of State expressed confidence that the presentation of an appropriate certificate confirming achievements in the elimination of statelessness in Turkmenistan and the Central Asian Ministerial Conference on Statelessness, which the guest will participate in during her visit, will be an important step in expanding ties between Turkmenistan and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

As noted during the meeting, Turkmenistan, having the legal status of permanent neutrality, maintains active relations in foreign policy with reputable international organizations, primarily with the United Nations and its specialized agencies. Cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is regular and effective, as evidenced by several jointly implemented projects.

The President of Turkmenistan noted that appropriate measures are being taken at a high level in our country to ensure the rights of refugees and stateless persons. Special attention is paid to the eradication of statelessness and the improvement of the legal framework in this direction, the head of state said.

It was emphasized that specific measures are being implemented within the framework of the "National Action Plan for 2019-2024 on the elimination of statelessness in Turkmenistan."

– Based on the principles of humanism of our ancestors, stateless persons are accepted into the citizenship of Turkmenistan and receive a residence permit in the country, – stated President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

As noted, more than 32 thousand people living in Turkmenistan who are not citizens of any state, more than 5 thousand foreign citizens and stateless persons have received a residence permit.

This is a vivid evidence of Turkmenistan's full and successful compliance with the UN Conventions "On the Status of Refugees", "On the Status of Stateless Persons" and "On the Reduction of Statelessness".

Turkmenistan highly appreciates the activities of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in protecting the rights of stateless persons and refugees, the Head of State stressed, noting with satisfaction that our country became the first in the Central Asian region to be elected a permanent member of the Executive Committee of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

At the end of the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's commitment to international obligations to protect the rights of stateless persons and wished Ms. Ruvendrini Menikdivela, Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, good health and success in her work.

Source: State News Agency