On 21 July the city of Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, hosted the fourth consultative meeting of the Presidents of Central Asian countries, which was attended by the Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhammedov.
Based on the outcomes of the meeting the Treaty on Friendship, Good-neighbourly Relations and Cooperation with the view of developing the Central Asia in the 21st century was adopted.
It was signed by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
It was reported that President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon and Serdar Berdymukhammedov would sign the document after completing “interstate procedures” in their countries.
On 25 July the text of the Treaty was published on the website of Kazakhstan’s statutory regulations.
Below are the most important clauses, pursuant to which the Central Asian nations:
will not interfere in domestic policies and will peacefully resolve disputes;
will provide support to each other in preventing threats to independence and territorial integrity;
will not join military blocks against contracting parties;
will facilitate cooperation in the military and technical areas on the issues of mutual interest;
will strengthen the role of the UN as the most credible and universal international organization;
will coordinate their positions on the most topical international issues as well as the issues of peace-building and safety in Central Asia;
will cooperate in non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and will refuse to arm themselves with nuclear weapons;
will cooperate in combatting terrorism, separatism, transnational organized crime, cybercrime, illegal migration, human trafficking, arms and drug trafficking;
will prevent dissemination of the ideology of terrorism and extremism, primarily among the youth and carry out measures to prevent religious intolerance, xenophobia and ethnic discrimination;
will cooperate in the efficient use of water and energy resources taking into account all contracting parties;
will undertake efforts to restore the ecological system of the Aral Sea basin and Aral Sea regions;
will develop investment cooperation, mutual protection of investments, the setting up of joint enterprises, logistics and infrastructure objects;
will untap transit and transportation potential of the region by a wide use of rail, motor, air and water communication by simplifying administrative procedures during transboundary transportation services;
will provide mutual assistance in preventing and responding to natural and manmade disasters; will develop cooperating in environmental disaster response;
will undertake joint measures in responding to epidemics, natural focal diseases and other hazardous infections.
It has been emphasized that the Treaty was concluded for an indefinite period of time.After it is signed by the President, the document will be ratified by all parties.The post The Friendship Treaty has not yet been signed by Serdar Berdymukhammedov first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.