Second Session of the Online Course, “Turkmenistan’s Policy of Permanent Neutrality” jointly organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan to Pakistan and Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad

On 9th February 2021, the Second Session of the Three-Day Online Course on “Turkmenistan’s Policy of Permanent Neutrality” was held. This course is jointly organized by the Embassy of Turkmenistan to Pakistan and the Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad.
The Online Course aims to provide an opportunity to the students of Pakistan to get familiarized with various aspects of Turkmenistan’s Foreign Policy, Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan, and Energy, Transport, and Economic Diplomacy of Turkmenistan.
The theme for the second session was, Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan and the speaker for this session was Mr. Begench Karayev, Senior Lecturer, Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
During the session, Mr. Begench discussed the Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan. According to him, during the 35 years, Turkmenistan has immensely contributed to the Peace, Stability, and Security of the region. Furthermore, he stated that the Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan was adopted during the peaceful times and not during war times. Hence, declaring it a conscious choice of Turkmenistan.
According to Mr. Begench, the Neutrality Policy has facilitated Turkmenistan in its active collaborations with the United Nations. Hence, leading to the establishment of the United Nations Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in Ashgabat.
He also, in detail, explained the fundamental principles of the Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan. These principles include Non-Participation in Military Conflicts, Commitment to the Diplomatic methods, Respect for Sovereignty of states.
The session concluded with the closing remarks of Ms. Minahil Shawal Afridi, Research Executive, CGSS. She stated that Pakistan and Turkmenistan share strong economic and political ties, however, both countries lack cooperation on the academic level. According to her, this online course can fill the gap and link the academic communities of both countries.
Ms. Minahil also mentioned that this collaborative initiative of CGSS and the Embassy of Turkmenistan to Pakistan will provide an opportunity for the students from Pakistan to have a comprehensive insight into the Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan.
The session was moderated by Ms. Laraib Fatima Hassan, Communication and Coordination Manager, CGSS.
It is noteworthy that students from all across Pakistan are enrolled in this Online Course. The Online second session was attended by 60 participants. This course will prove to be a milestone for the students of International Relations & related fields to understand the Neutrality Policy of Turkmenistan.