On 18 March 2026, a meeting was held between Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova and Regional Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Central Asia Mahir Safarli.
At the beginning of the meeting, M.Safarli presented the Turkmen side with a letter on his appointment as UNHCR Regional Representative for Central Asia. In turn, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs M.Byashimova congratulated him on his appointment and wished him success in his responsible duties.
During the talks, the sides discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation between Turkmenistan and UNHCR, as well as exchanged views on pressing issues of the regional and international humanitarian agenda.
It was emphasized that cooperation with UNHCR constitutes an important component of Turkmenistan’s engagement with the United Nations. The country’s commitment to its international obligations in the field of protection of refugees and stateless persons was reaffirmed.
Particular attention was paid to issues related to the eradication of statelessness. The parties noted Turkmenistan’s significant achievements in this area, including the implementation of the National Action Plan for 2019–2024. The successful organization in Ashgabat of the Regional Ministerial Conference on the eradication of statelessness, held in November 2024, was also highlighted.
The sides also discussed Turkmenistan’s participation in the implementation of global UNHCR initiatives, including its accession to the Global Alliance to End Statelessness and its participation in Global Refugee Forums.
Special attention was given to Turkmenistan’s initiative to declare 2028 as the Year of International Law, as well as opportunities for cooperation with UNHCR in promoting this initiative.
In the context of the regional agenda, the sides exchanged views on developments in the region and emphasized the importance of preventive measures aimed at averting humanitarian crises.
Organizational aspects of cooperation were also reviewed, including the development of a joint action plan for the current period.
