WNAM MONITORING: The working visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Avaza, where the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries took place, once again reaffirmed the special nature of relations between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
It is no coincidence that Turkmenistan hosted President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s first state visit in March 2017. Since then, thanks to the personal contributions of the President of Uzbekistan, the National Leader of the Turkmen People Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, relations between the two brotherly countries have reached a fundamentally new level. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan today exemplify genuine good-neighborliness and strategic partnership in Central Asia.
Notably, during the conference, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was awarded Turkmenistan’s Order “For Contribution to the Development of Cooperation”.
In recent years, the President of Uzbekistan has been awarded several of the highest state honors by neighboring countries in the region, leading global powers, and regional organizations. These include Kazakhstan’s “Altyn Qyran” and “Dostyk” Orders, Kyrgyzstan’s “Danaker” Order, Tajikistan’s “Zarrintoj” Order, Russia’s Order of Alexander Nevsky, France’s Legion of Honour, Türkiye’s Order of the Republic, the Supreme Order of the Turkic World, the CIS Honorary Badge, the Honorary Badge of the Heads of State of Central Asia, and many others.
Undoubtedly, each of these awards is not only a high recognition of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s leadership. They also represent acknowledgment of the joint efforts undertaken with his counterparts – leaders and heads of state – with whom a strong foundation of mutual trust, openness, and partnership is being built. All of them are co-authors of the progress that is transforming Central Asia into a region of cooperation, rather than competition.
All of these honors form a cohesive framework in which Uzbekistan is increasingly perceived as a reliable, responsible, and proactive partner. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s foreign policy strategy is not built on loud declarations – it is grounded in tangible actions: agreements, joint projects, open borders, shared corridors, and dialogue platforms. All of this serves a single purpose – to improve the lives and well-being of our people.
From this perspective, the awarding of Turkmenistan’s Order stands as a clear acknowledgment of Uzbekistan’s active and constructive role in fostering regional stability and cooperation. It sends a signal: in a time of geopolitical uncertainty, a deficit of trust, and emerging risks, the stability forged by Uzbekistan and its regional partners is recognized as an actual value. And those who ensure that stability receive well-deserved recognition.
A vivid illustration of this was the touching moment following the visit, when Arkadag personally accompanied the President of Uzbekistan to the airport, setting aside the traditional Turkmen protocol formalities. This gesture was not simply one of mutual respect, but a sincere expression of the special brotherly relationship that has developed between the two countries.
