Central Asian Young Diplomats Master the Art of Multilateral Dialogue in Ashgabat

The second regional training seminar for young employees of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the region's countries has started in the Turkmen capital. This program, which combines UN resources and the potential of neutral Turkmenistan, is aimed at forming a new political elite capable of speaking the language of professionalism and mutual respect. On Monday morning, the opening ceremony of the seminar took place at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Five representatives from each country — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — a total of 25 delegates are participating. These are specialists under the age of 30 who are already defending the interests of their states today and will shape the regional security architecture tomorrow. The official opening ceremony, moderated by UN Resident Coordinator Dmitry Shlapachenko, set the main tone for the entire week: these will not be just lectures, but the creation of an active interaction network. The participation of the Ambassadors of the UK and Italy, as well as heads of UN agencies, confirmed the international status of this platform. The speech of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Mahri Bashimova, was of a programmatic nature for the participants. She clearly defined Turkmenistan's role as an initiator of such platforms. "It is a great honor for neutral Turkmenistan to once again host representatives of the regional states. Holding the seminar for the second time confirms the necessity of the initiatives put forward to strengthen trust among young diplomats," the Deputy Minister emphasized. Key points of the speech: - Diplomacy as a tool for prevention: In the context of the complicating global agenda, the importance of the "culture of dialogue" is increasing. Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality acts here not only as a legal status but also as a practical tool for conflict prevention. - Turkmenistan at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly: The country continues to promote initiatives to strengthen the role of international law and expand preventive diplomacy mechanisms. - Regional impetus: M. Bashimova drew special attention to the youth dialogue of Central Asian countries. Following successful meetings in the city of Arkadag (2023) and New York (2025), the current seminar in Ashgabat will be a new stage in this process. Program: From Sustainable Development Goals Theory to Protocol Practice After the official part, the participants moved from the IIR to the UN building, where "deep" work began. First day: Immersion into the system. Participants studied the structure of the UN and the 2030 Agenda in detail. A session by Parvathy Ramaswami, UN Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, on the organization's humanitarian principles, aroused particular interest. The interactive format allowed young diplomats to immediately engage in discussions with senior UN leadership. Intellectual map of the week: - March 10–11: The main focus will be on specialized skills. Gender concepts, environmental policy, and water diplomacy—crucial for the region—will be discussed. Experts from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will conduct masterclasses on economic analysis—a skill as necessary for a modern diplomat as protocol knowledge. - March 12: Day of "field trials." A Regional Youth Dialogue will be held at the IIR, and experts from the UK Embassy will conduct a seminar on diplomatic etiquette and the art of working with the media. - March 13: The final block will be devoted to human rights and international law. The week will conclude with a "no-tie" meeting with the ambassadors of Central Asian countries—a direct transfer of experience from experienced mentors to the younger generation. Expected results: Connections are more important than certificates The main result of the seminar is not just a deep study of UN terminology. As Mahri Bashimova noted, the formation of professional contacts is of long-term importance for the entire region. When these people occupy high positions in the future, they will not need to "get acquainted again"—the foundation for effective dialogue has already been laid in Ashgabat. This seminar for young Central Asian diplomats is not just an educational course, but a strategic initiative to form a unified intellectual space in the region. The project is based on the successful experience of 2025 and aims to create sustainable professional relationships between representatives of the foreign policy agencies of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Under the auspices of the UN, participants are immersed in an interactive environment where the theoretical foundations of international law and the mandates of the Organization's main bodies are tested through situation modeling and skill performance. In conditions of global shifts, the main focus is changing from passive study of regulatory acts to active mastery of the tools of preventive diplomacy, gender policy, and economic analysis. Ultimately, this initiative is aimed at ensuring that the region's future political representatives not only know the UN methodology deeply but also have a common vision of ways to ensure the stability and prosperity of Central Asia.