Turkmenistan’s Neutrality Day ( Turkmen. Bitaraplyk baýramy ) is the second most important [1] national holiday of Turkmenistan . This date is celebrated in Turkmenistan annually on December 12 [2] .
| Turkmenistan neutrality day | |
|---|---|
| Type of | Public Holiday |
| Is celebrated | Turkmenistan |
| date | |
| Celebration | 12 December |
| Associated with | adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution No. 50/80 |
Content
History and Celebration
On December 12, 1995, UN General Assembly Resolution No. 50/80 was adopted , expressing the hope that “the status of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality will contribute to strengthening peace and security in the region . " In this resolution, the UN "recognizes and supports the status of permanent neutrality proclaimed by Turkmenistan . " Such a unique document was adopted for the first time in the activities of the entire international community of nations. Supporting UN neutrality is a rare occurrence in more than half a century of history of this international organization. The UNGA resolution calls for respect and support for the neutrality of Turkmenistan. For its adoption at the GA session, 185 member states of the world community voted.
On the Day of Neutrality of Turkmenistan, mass festivals and holiday concerts are held throughout the Central Asian republic. Ashgabat hosts international conferences [3] . In 2012, for the first time, the country simply rested, all the events dedicated to this date took place in the previous days [4] . An annual amnesty for prisoners is held in honor of the holiday [5] .
History
On December 12, 1995, in New York during a meeting of the UN General Assembly, without exception, all 185 countries that were members of this organization at that time voted in favor of the adoption of a special Resolution “Permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan”. Thus, the neutral external course, de facto already pursued by Turkmenistan, has received internationally recognized legal status. A few days later, in Turkmenistan itself, the adoption of the Constitutional Law carried out procedures that gave this decision of the international community an intrastate status. Then the day of December 12 was established as a public holiday. Moreover, strictly speaking, it would be wrong to assume that Turkmen neutrality “began” on December 12, 1995. The actual reference point can be called July 1992, when Turkmenistan for the first time proclaimed positive neutrality at the summit of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (current OSCE) in Helsinki as the fundamental content of its foreign policy. At the same time, its main characteristics were outlined - respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, non-interference in their internal affairs, refusal to use force in interstate relations, priority of UN decisions in international affairs, strengthening good neighborliness and cooperation with all countries. It took, however, three years of steadfast adherence to the stated obligations, before the neutral foreign policy of Turkmenistan received its first official international recognition, so far at the regional level, in Islamabad in March 1995 in Islamabad. Then there was a meeting of the heads of state and government of the countries participating in the Non-Aligned Movement in the Colombian city of Cartagena, which supported Turkmen neutrality. And finally, on December 12, 1995, in New York, at a session of the UN General Assembly, the neutrality of Turkmenistan received global recognition. It is significant that cosponsors of the UN Resolution on Turkmen neutrality were such countries as the USA, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and a number of other states. Today, one can talk about the obvious positive results of the neutral status of Turkmenistan and its practical implementation.