President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov met with Ruvenrini Menikdivela, Assistant High Commissioner of the UNHCR, on Friday in Ashgabat. During their meeting, Menikdivela presented President Serdar Berdimuhamedov with a certificate recognizing Turkmenistan's efforts to eliminate statelessness.
Menikdivela shared warm greetings from UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, highlighting the UN's appreciation for Turkmenistan's active support of global peace initiatives.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed gratitude for the acknowledgment of the country’s progress in human rights and noted that the certificate and participation in the upcoming Central Asian Conference on Statelessness would strengthen its ties with the UN.
The head of state emphasized that Turkmenistan, with its status of permanent neutrality, maintains active relations with international organizations, particularly with the UN and its specialized agencies, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
During the conversation, Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasized the National Plan for the Elimination of Statelessness for 2019-2024, reporting that Turkmenistan has granted citizenship to over 32,000 individuals and conferred residence permits to more than 5,000 foreign nationals and stateless persons, reflecting the country's dedication to fulfilling its international obligations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov reaffirmed Turkmenistan's commitment to fulfilling its international obligations to protect the rights of stateless individuals and wished Ruvenrini Menikdivela success in her mission.