President: Turkmenistan significantly increases its activities within CIS

2011.08.27 10:20

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Aug. 27 / Trend H.Hasanov /

Turkmenistan has significantly increased its involvement in the CIS affairs in recent years, Turkmen President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov said at the recent governmental meeting.

The meeting mulled the preparation for participation in a meeting of the Council of the CIS Heads of States to be held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Berdimuhammedov said "Turkmenistan, being an associate member of the CIS, which is conditioned by, primarily, the country’s international commitments arising from the status of
permanent neutrality, has taken a consistent position on the interaction within the CIS".
"This position completely meets Turkmenistan’s foreign policy aimed at building an effective international partnership for global peace, prosperity and sustainable development," he said, noting the country's immutable commitment to constructive cooperation within the CIS - both bilaterally and multilaterally.

The CIS chairmanship will be transferred to Ashgabat in 2012. Turkmenistan, referring to its permanent neutrality recognized and supported by the UN, made a decision in 2005 to partake in the CIS structure as an associated member.
Over the past years, Ashgabat hosted several events within the CIS - International Film Festival, Agricultural Forum and Summit of Foreign Ministers Council-.
The Caspian city of Turkmenbashi hosted the 39th meeting of the Interstate Council
for Standardization, Metrology and Certification of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) in 2011.
Prior to that, the 65th meeting of the Council of the CIS member states’ Border Troops Commanders was held in Ashgabat to discuss issues of the external borders and the security plan for 2011.