In the conference hall of the State Migration Service, it was held a solemn ceremony of handing passports to persons being admitted to the citizenship of Turkmenistan according to the Ukase of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
This event demonstrated the continued commitment of our country to standards of international law, being another example of the viable solution of the migration policy issues.Persons being admitted to citizenship of Turkmenistan, in their speeches expressed words of gratitude to the head of state for great attention, paid to solving the problems of stateless persons, creation of all conditions for their prosperous life.
According to the Ukase, signed by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on December 8, at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers 1,690 persons became citizens of Turkmenistan, permanently residing on the territory of the country without citizenship.
It is representatives of 21 nationalities, including 1,165 adults and 525 persons under the age of 18 years.It is symbolic that this decision was made on the eve of the International Day of Neutrality.
A unique international legal status of permanent neutrality, recognized by the Community of Nations, embodied the peaceful, creative essence of domestic and foreign policy of Turkmenistan, on the territory of which representatives of different nationalities and faiths live and work in peace and harmony as united happy family.
Ceremony attendees Regional Coordinator of UNHCR for Central Asia Ms.Yasuko Oda, Coordinator of the International Organization for Migration in Central Asian countries Mr.Dejan Keserovic highly appreciated large-scale activities of Turkmenistan and the initiative role of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in solution of problems in the field of migration and statelessness, noting the special importance of the event held today.
Turkmenistan was among the first in the region to begin paying close attention and particular importance to these issues, requiring the consolidation of international efforts, aimed at resolving issues of refugees and stateless persons.
Migration is one of severe challenges of nowadays under the global processes ongoing in the world.In this sphere Turkmenistan demonstrates effective practice of constructive legislative regulation of the issues of social protection and equal opportunities for apatrides stateless persons and migrants.
This position of our country is based on universally recognized principles of human rights and highly-humane traditions, being indigenously inherent in the Turkmen people and finding a worthy implementation in the migration strategy of the head of state Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Humanitarian actions, conducted under the leadership of the President of Turkmenistan, enriched the international experience in this area and became the object of keen attention of the world community.
In our country, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been working for many years.Since 2013 Turkmenistan is the permanent member of the International Organization for Migration.
Actively interacting with these structures, our state makes a significant contribution to the universal community’s efforts, doing purposeful work and taking effective measures on delivery of care to migrants, refugees, stateless persons and protection of their rights.
Significance of Turkmenistan’s neutrality, which serves as a guarantor of maintenance of the stability in the region, protection of national interests, as well as an important factor for the development of equal relations, is highly respected in the world.
Turkmenistan has acceded to several major international legal proceedings of the United Nations in this field, including the Convention “On refugee status” and its Protocol, UN Conventions “On the status of stateless persons”, “On the reduction of statelessness”.
During the years of independence, the national legal basis has been enriched by the Laws of Turkmenistan “On migration”, “On citizenship”, “On refugees”, regulating the legal status of migrants, refugees and stateless persons and guaranteeing their rights and freedoms.
Implementing successive steps in this direction, Turkmenistan, in fact, confirms its allegiance to obligations undertaken, the principles of humanism, laid in foundation of the policy, pursued by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.