Ashgabat became a key regional platform for discussing global security and nuclear nonproliferation during the visit of Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. A key event of this mission was the guest’s meeting with Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov on June 8, during which the two sides reaffirmed the strategic nature of their partnership.
The head of state emphasized that Turkmenistan, firmly adhering to its recognized neutral status, strictly fulfills its obligations under fundamental agreements, including the treaties on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia. Robert Floyd, in turn, praised Turkmen diplomacy and noted that celebrating the 30th anniversary of the CTBT in Ashgabat clearly demonstrates the country’s profound commitment to the ideals of universal peace.
This dialogue at the interstate level was further developed by a high-level regional meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, also timed to the Treaty’s anniversary. The deputy foreign ministers of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the heads of diplomatic missions of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, along with the head of the CTBTO, discussed mechanisms for strengthening regional cooperation and raising global awareness of the need for the Treaty’s prompt entry into force.
Opening the forum, Deputy Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova stated that over three decades, the CTBT has established a strong international norm against nuclear tests and made a colossal contribution to global stability. Participants in the ministerial meeting agreed that the Central Asian region plays a vanguard role in disarmament processes, having become a strong element of the international arms control architecture.
The political agenda of the visit was supported by concrete practical steps in the scientific and technical sphere. A five-day Regional Seminar and Comprehensive Training Course for National Data Center Specialists, organized by the CTBTO jointly with the government of Turkmenistan, the Institute of Seismology and Atmospheric Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, and the National Data Center of Turkmenistan, opened in the Turkmen capital.
The professional training brought together twenty-five experts from nine countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Russia, and Central Asian countries. Participants focused on mastering seismic analysis tools and exploring software systems that enable the effective use of International Monitoring System data for Treaty compliance verification.
Today, June 9, Robert Floyd participated in a panel discussion at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, where future diplomats and experts discussed the prospects for building a world completely free of nuclear threats.
