On October 24, 2024, the UN General Assembly in New York adopted the resolution “Zone of Peace, Trust, and Cooperation in Central Asia,” presented by Turkmenistan on behalf of the region’s countries, reports Avesta.tj.
The document was co-sponsored by 37 states, including Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, India, Iran, China, Russia, and Turkey, according to the UN press service.
Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the UN, Aksoltan Ataeva, emphasized the importance of recognizing Central Asian countries as such a zone – a legal phenomenon formed similarly to universally recognized zones of peace currently operating in various parts of the world, such as the South Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
During the General Assembly meeting, it was highlighted that establishing a zone of peace in Central Asia was made possible thanks to the institutional and legal framework for multilateral cooperation developed by the region’s countries. This includes the creation of a mechanism for interaction between Central Asian nations at the highest level – regular Consultative Meetings of Heads of State, the signing of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia in 2006, the establishment of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in December 2007, and platforms for promoting regional dialogue on all key areas of cooperation.
The resolution emphasizes the role of Central Asian countries in strengthening the global non-proliferation and disarmament architecture and promoting tools for preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding.
Ataeva stressed that the region’s states view stability in the Zone of Peace, Trust, and Cooperation through the interdependence of all elements of interaction: political, economic, environmental, food, and humanitarian. She also drew the attention of the General Assembly delegates to a vivid example of the potential of cultural diplomacy in the region – the International Forum “Interconnection of Times and Civilizations – the Foundation of Peace and Development,” held on October 11 in Ashgabat, marking the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Turkmen poet Magtymguly Pyragy.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 30, 2024