CENTRAL COMMISSION FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN TURKMENISTAN

As we already know, on December 26, 2022, our esteemed President Serdar Berdimuhamedov made an official visit to our friendly country, the Russian Federation, where he took part in the informal Summit of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, traditionally held annually in St. Petersburg at the end of the outgoing year.

The Presidents of the Republics of Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia also took part in the Summit.

In accordance with its legal status of neutrality, as an associate member of the CIS, Turkmenistan actively participates in the Commonwealth on the principles of common goals, equality and mutual trust. Relations established on the principles of mutual respect provide for the strengthening of friendship, trust, good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation, the development of important projects at the regional and international levels, and their successful implementation. This serves as a solid basis for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and enriching its content.

In fact, our country puts forward specific proposals aimed at developing long-term mutually beneficial cooperation. A striking example of this is the adoption, on the initiative of our Hero Arkadag, of the Declaration “On Strategic Economic Cooperation of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States”. It should be noted with pride that the Development Strategy of the Commonwealth of Independent States until 2030 is based on the basic principles of the above-mentioned Declaration.

Of course, within the framework of traditional friendly relations, delegations of international observers from the CIS regularly participate in elections held in the country, and, in particular, international observers from the Commonwealth observed an important socio-political event that took place in the country in March this year - the election of the President of Turkmenistan and highly appreciated them.

In general, the outgoing 2022 was a very fruitful year for the Commonwealth of Independent States. All planned activities were successfully implemented. Important agreements were reached on the further expansion of cooperation in the political, diplomatic, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

Thus, this informal meeting provided the leaders of the CIS countries with ample opportunity to discuss a number of international issues of mutual interest and areas of cooperation.

At the summit held in St. Petersburg, the CIS heads of state expressed confidence that an informal meeting with a perspective for the near and distant future would give a powerful impetus to further joining efforts in the implementation of new projects of mutual interest.