Turkmenistan highlights 2025 as crucial for diplomacy, peace
The Turkmen Embassy in Seoul underlined 2025 as a crucial year for diplomacy and peace, marking the International Year of Peace and Trust.
Speaking at the event, Turkmenistan's Ambassador to Korea Begench Durdyyev introduced Turkmenistan's adoption of the UN resolution titled '2025 — International Year of Peace and Trust.'
He noted that on March 21 last year, during the 63rd plenary meeting of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, this resolution was co-sponsored by 86 UN member states.
The Central Asian country views 2025 as a landmark year for commitment to neutrality for global peace and security. The year is also commemorating the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality.
According to the embassy, Turkmenistan has maintained peaceful neutrality, avoiding military alliances and advocating global peace through diplomacy for over 30 years.
'The resolution reflects the fundamental purposes and principles of the UN Charter, particularly the commitments to settle disputes by peaceful means and methods,' said Durdyyev stressing it as an event for transition to a new stage in international relations.
The Central Asian country sees 2025 as symbolic, marking the 30th anniversary of its permanent neutrality, the UN's 80th anniversary, and 33 years of diplomatic ties with Korea, said Durdyyev.
He invited government representatives, Korean media, and academic institutions from Korea to participate in these events.
Marking 33 years of diplomatic relations between Turkmenistan and Korea, Durdyyev highlighted sustained cooperation in politics, economy, culture and education.
Turkmenistan and South Korea established diplomatic ties on July 2, 1992. In 2024, Presidents Yoon Seok Yeol and Serdar Berdimuhamedow agreed to expand cooperation in energy and infrastructure projects under Seoul's "K-Silk Road Cooperation" initiative.
The strategy aims to connect South Korea's innovation with Central Asia's resources. Berdimuhamedow has extended Ashgabat's support for the initiative.
'In 2025, our countries will continue to demonstrate the value of balanced, forward-looking diplomacy,' he said.
Both countries see strong cooperation potential to develop a transcontinental transportation route connecting Asia and Europe and expansion of energy sector.
The ambassador also announced high-level political consultations, a state visit, and at least two large-scale economic projects led by Korean companies in Turkmenistan.
'This year we will also hold the next round meeting of the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Korean Commission for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation,' Durdyyev.
'Turkmenistan believes that by strengthening partnerships — especially with neutral and non-aligned states — the international community can develop more effective ways to prevent and resolve disputes,' said Durdyyev.
He noted that President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has proposed a Global Security Strategy that incorporates economic, environmental, technological, and humanitarian factors.
The ambassador called 2024 "The Fount of Wisdom of Magtymguly Fragi," honoring the Turkmen poet's influence on peace.
Introducing a book titled "Jewel of the Mind" authored by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the ambassador highlighted his country's diplomatic legacy.
The book describes the history, cultural heritage, and philosophical contributions of the leader of the Turkmen people, highlighting the country's illustrious past and its preserved historical monuments.
Meanwhile, he also announced hopes of boosting aviation and tourism, with plans to launch direct passenger flights between Ashgabat and Seoul in the coming months.
'By expanding people-to-people connections, we believe our overall cooperation will grow significantly,' he added.
The event was attended by senior officials from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the secretariat of the Central Asia–Republic of Korea Cooperation Forum, ambassadors from Central Asian countries, political experts and cultural representatives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
20 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Political uncertainty falls below pre-martial law levels: BOK
The level of political uncertainty in South Korea has returned to levels seen prior to the martial law incident, following the recent presidential election, the central bank said Friday. According to data submitted by the Bank of Korea to Rep. Cha Gyu-geun of the Rebuilding Korea Party, the political uncertainty index stood at 1.5 as of June 4, the day after the election, in which Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung defeated conservative rival Kim Moon-soo. The index, which had been around 0.4 in early December, spiked to a record high of 12.8 in mid-December, following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's surprising declaration of martial law on Dec. 3. Though the index rose slightly above 1 after the election, the BOK noted that such minor fluctuations are common in normal times and should not be interpreted as meaningful. The index is compiled by the BOK's research department by tallying the number of media articles that include both the keywords "politics" and "uncertainty" in their headlines or main text. It reflects relative values, with the long-term average from the beginning of 2000 set at zero, the BOK said. The previous record high was 8.8, recorded on March 17, 2004, following the passage of the impeachment motion against the late former President Roh Moo-hyun. The economic uncertainty index also fell to 1.2 as of June 4, a level similar to the 1.1 recorded on Dec. 3. The index had surged to 5.4 on Jan. 2 but gradually declined, reaching as low as 0.5 on May 15, the BOK said. "The political uncertainty that has weighed on the economy over the past six months is expected to ease significantly," BOK Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said at a press briefing last week. "Political factors are no longer having a meaningful impact on the won-dollar exchange rate." The Korean won had weakened sharply earlier this year, nearing 1,500 won per US dollar, largely due to the domestic political turmoil and concerns over the sweeping tariff measures under US President Donald Trump's administration. But it rebounded to its strongest level in about seven months Thursday, closing at 1,358.4 won per dollar. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
20 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Bills to probe Yoon, wife pass National Assembly
Bill on suspected interference in investigation of Marine's death also passed; Presidential office says 'there is very little reason' to veto them The ruling Democratic Party of Korea-controlled National Assembly on Thursday passed contentious bills mandating special counsel probes into charges and scandals surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Three probe bills reintroduced by the Democratic Party were approved during a parliamentary plenary vote held in the afternoon. One pushes to launch a permanent special counsel to investigate 11 charges tied to Yoon's failed martial bid in December; another seeks to mainly investigate Kim's alleged inappropriate interference in the People Power Party's candidate nomination process in previous general and by-elections as well as her luxury bag scandal; the third looks into the allegations that the Yoon administration interfered in the military's investigation into a young Marine's death in 2023. All three bills were passed in a 194-3 vote with one abstention, in a package deal. The move came a day after President Lee Jae-myung, who was the Democratic Party Chair, was sworn into office. He won Tuesday's early election, securing 49.42 percent of the vote against his rival and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, who saw 41.15 percent. Lee was highly likely to approve and endorse the bills, as an official at the presidential office said, 'there is very little reason' to veto them, with all three 'receiving People's support,' in a press briefing after the plenary vote. People Power Party, which became the main opposition party on Wednesday, highlighted its party line against the passage of the bills ahead of the plenary vote. The majority of the party lawmakers boycotted all three votes. All three bills passed on Thursday had previous versions that were scrapped by former President Yoon's veto power. The bill mandating a permanent special counsel investigation against Yoon will look into 11 different charges tied to his martial law bid, including insurrection and military mutiny. The previous versions of the bill were vetoed and scrapped twice. The latest version expanded the scope of the charges from six to 11. Special counsel candidates will be nominated by the Democratic Party and the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, from the parliament's side. The bill also eases regulations to access presidential archives. It lowers the threshold from the current approval needed from two-thirds of lawmakers or from a high court chief judge to three-fifths of the Assembly or permission from a district court chief judge. The bill concerning the first lady will look into her alleged role in a stock manipulation scandal as well as the inappropriate acceptance of a luxury bag from a Korean-American pastor and election-related scandals involving political broker Myung Tae-kyun. An amendment passed alongside the bills expands the scope of the number of assistant special prosecutors from four to seven and raises the cap on dispatched prosecutors from 40 to 60.
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Mammoth probes to look into Yoon's alleged treason, insurrection
Special teams size of a district attorney's office to be formed to investigate ex-president Multiple probe teams together comprising some 120 prosecutors are set to look into allegations surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol, including one that he committed treason by trying to impose martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. The Democratic Party of Korea on Thursday passed a series of bills seeking to open three separate special counsel investigations. One will investigate whether Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration would constitute insurrection, for which a criminal trial is already underway, as well as treason. The Democratic Party claims that Yoon plotted to provoke a military action from North Korea to justify declaring martial law with his hawkish policies such as resumption of anti-Pyongyang broadcasts near inter-Korean borders in June 2024. The Democratic Party is also pushing an as-yet unsubstatiated claim that Yoon sent unmanned aerial vehicles into Pyongyang in October 2024. Yoon allegedly attempting to instigate an armed conflict with North Korea in the run-up to his martial law decree was "treason," the Democratic Party claimed, on top of it being a "rebellion against the Constitution, which is to say, insurrection." Another special counsel investigation would revisit the death of a Marine in July 2023. Cpl. Chae Su-geun, 20, died when he was swept away in moving water during a search and rescue operation to locate flood victims in a rain-swollen river in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province. The Democratic Party claims that the Yoon presidential office tried to hinder a preliminary investigation into if there had been negligence and other wrongdoing at the top in Chae's death. Yoon's wife Kim Keon Hee is also set to face a special counsel investigation into allegations that she interfered in the People Power Party's nomination of candidates for a National Assembly seat. The Democratic Party voted without the People Power Party to pass the special counsel bills Thursday. The Democratic Party has the majority in the Assembly, holding 167 out of 300 seats.
