Turkmenistan, the only permanently neutral country in Asia.
Have you ever heard of the concept of a "permanent neutral country"? Switzerland is one of the most famous. However, in order to become a permanent neutral country, it is not as simple as declaring it, but also needs to be agreed by international treaties and recognized by the international community, and bear corresponding obligations.
Currently, there are seven permanently neutral countries in the world, most of which are in Europe, with only two countries, Costa Rica and Turkmenistan, located on other continents. So, what kind of country is Turkmenistan, the only permanently neutral country in Asia?
Permanent neutrality is a country that has always fulfilled the obligation of neutrality in foreign relations, based on international treaties or recognized by the international community, and they occupy a unique position in the international community, and this system first originated in Switzerland.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Switzerland recognized the brutality of war, and in 1674 declared its "neutrality" and did not participate in wars in Europe or the world. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna adopted the relevant provisions of international law, which stipulated that a permanently neutral state had the right not to wage war against it, to force it to participate in war, or to involve it in treaties and actions that might involve it in war, but also to assume corresponding obligations.
Permanently neutral countries have the privilege of avoiding the chaos of war, but they also have the obligation not to get involved in war. In the event that its nationals are justifiably punished by a belligerent for their participation in the war, the neutral State shall acquiesce and respect it.
At the same time, a permanently neutral state cannot directly or indirectly assist a belligerent country, nor can it allow other countries to conduct acts of war on its territory. In short, the rights and obligations of a permanently neutral country are mutually reinforcing, and no one side can be left to the exclusion of one party.
In order for a country to become a permanently neutral country, it not only needs to declare "neutrality", but also needs to sign a "permanent neutrality treaty" with another country, and that country acts as a "guarantor".
The sponsoring State is required to provide support and protection in the event of damage or threat of war in the Permanent Neutral State, and to take the necessary measures to stop violations of the Treaty by the Permanent Neutral State.
At present, only seven countries in the world have been recognized by the international community for permanent neutrality, and the only permanent neutrality in Asia is Turkmenistan.
As one of the five Central Asian countries, Turkmenistan is located in the core of the Eurasian continent, surrounded by Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and borders the Black Sea only in the west.
Its area is about 4910,000 square kilometers, which is equivalent to China's Sichuan Province, with a population of about 5.7 million, may not be familiar to most people. Why, then, did Turkmenistan choose permanent neutrality?
This stems from its unique geographical location and abundant resources.
Although 80% of Turkmenistan's territory is covered by deserts, it is one of the driest regions in the world, but it has rich oil and gas resources, its natural gas reserves rank fifth in the world, the oil and gas industry system is complete, and there are still a large number of rare earth resources in the territory to be developed.
For Turkmenistan, choosing permanent neutrality can not only prevent other countries from waging wars against it over oil and gas resources, thus ensuring a peaceful development environment and a stable life for its people, but also avoid being mixed up in relations with the United States and Russia.
Thus, permanent neutrality is a path that is both beneficial and beneficial for Turkmenistan.
As an independent state after the collapse of the Soviet Union, relations between Turkmenistan and Russia became tense for a time. During the Soviet era, Turkmenistan, as an energy supplier, had a relatively weak domestic industrial system and relied on imports for most of its industrial products.
However, while Turkmenistan still used the Soviet ruble, Russia took the opportunity to issue a large amount of currency and open up prices, which had a huge impact on Turkmenistan's fragile economy, causing its economy to be almost paralyzed and thus drifting away from Russia.
Turkmenistan's Stalinist practice at home and its frequent confiscation of potential rivals' property without court proceedings have led the United States to consider its domestic human rights situation to be extremely dire and to see it as a target for "democratic reforms."
In this situation, which is vulnerable to coveting and unable to rely on the two powers, Turkmenistan has chosen permanent independence in order to ensure a peaceful and stable environment for itself.
However, the United States has always wanted to control the world's oil and gas resources, and Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality has deprived the United States of the opportunity to plunder these resources. Therefore, the United States does not want to see Turkmenistan become permanently independent.
Due to the concerns of many countries at that time about the further spread of Islamic extremism from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, due to its unique geographical location, became an ideal"Buffer zone"It can effectively prevent the invasion of extremist forces and ensure regional peace and stability.
At the same time, for the United States, the recognition of Turkmenistan as a permanent neutral country will not only further widen the distance with Russia and weaken its influence in the Central Asian region, but also contribute to the future strategic deployment of the United States.
In summary, Turkmenistan was officially recognized by the international community as a permanently neutral State on 12 December 1995.
Although Niyazov was keen on ***, he founded"Permanently neutral"Policy, however, is the most dazzling achievement of his political career. This policy provides a solid foundation for the future development of Turkmenistan.
On the one hand, Turkmenistan was able to withdraw from the complex geopolitical complexities and avoid the threat of war, creating a peaceful environment for domestic development, and at the same time enhancing its international status to a certain extent.
On the other hand, although the United States still has doubts about its human rights situation, Turkmenistan is because"Permanently neutral", which can avoid more serious sanctions and pressure from the West, opens the door to more development opportunities.
Thanks to Niyazov's leadership, Turkmenistan, with its abundant oil and gas resources, has rapidly developed its economy and its GDP has grown rapidly. In the nine years from 2005 to 2014 alone, Turkmenistan's GDP grew by more than 20 percent in eight years, which led to a significant improvement in the standard of living of the people.
According to statistics, as of 2018, Turkmenistan attracted $117.2 billion in foreign investment, accounting for 63% of the country's total investment, through policies such as a stable exchange rate and preferential taxation4%, becoming one of the top 10 countries in the world for investment attractiveness.
In Turkmenistan, the national welfare is good, prices are extremely low, and the happiness index is extremely high. Mineral water here is more expensive than oil, and the price of oil in the local area has dropped to 01 yuan liter, and residents do not need to pay water, electricity and gas bills, food** is also very affordable, and the cost of living is very low.
In addition, Turkmenistan provides free health care and education services, and these generous national benefits have helped the people of Turkmenistan to maintain a high level of happiness.
Turkmenistan, which regards permanent neutrality as a lifeline, has enshrined neutrality in its constitution and established the national anthem as the "Anthem of Turkmenistan". While permanent neutrality has many advantages for Turkmenistan, it is not without its drawbacks.
In order to maintain this position, Turkmenistan must close itself off to a certain extent.
In order to stick to it"Permanently neutral"Turkmenistan is hardly a member of any international organization, which makes it unique in the international community. Although this isolation does not seem to pose a threat to Turkmenistan, they must be extremely careful in their foreign dealings to prevent themselves from becoming involved in any international dispute that could undermine their neutrality.
To a certain extent, Turkmenistan's choice can be described as one of its external aspects"Closed"Although the country has famous tourist attractions such as Hell's Gate, there are very few people who actually travel there.
Because Turkmenistan has long been cautious about the development of tourism in order to maintain its permanent neutral status, non-professionals who want to enter the country often need to go through invitation letters and cumbersome procedures from relevant agencies, and the possibility of visa refusal is high.
Even if a transit visa can be obtained, it is subject to strict vetting and the length of stay in transit is strictly limited. In addition, Turkmenistan's domestic environment is relatively isolated, the level of Internet development is low, and the reception and understanding of international information by its citizens is relatively lagging behind.
At the same time, Turkmenistan has a large gap between urban and rural areas, and despite the developed infrastructure of the capital, the rural areas are relatively backward, and although the cost of living is low, the living conditions of the people are average.
This has something to do with Turkmenistan's closed policy, because closure means less international communication, limited access to new technologies and ideas, and therefore the overall level of development of Turkmenistan may appear average compared to more open countries.
Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality requires us to look at it dialectically. While this policy has brought about an environment for peaceful development in the country, it has also led to a certain degree of "closure", which has adversely affected the country's long-term development.
In fact, no permanent neutral country can protect a country forever, whether it is a local war or a global war, it is impossible for a permanent neutral country to completely avoid the spread of war.
It is always the "hard power" of the country that protects the country, such as strong military strength.
Turkmenistan's new ** Berdymukhamedov is deeply aware of this, and after taking office, he began a moderately open policy, striving to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the international community while maintaining permanent neutrality.
On the one hand, Turkmenistan has gradually relaxed its visa policy and lowered the threshold for group travel and transit visas, so that more overseas tourists have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty and customs of its country. On the other hand, Turkmenistan officially became the 25th observer state of the WTO last year, marking the beginning of a new chapter in its diplomatic field.
Turkmenistan has shown a more positive attitude in its exchanges with its neighboring powers, especially in its relations with China. Turkmenistan is an important partner of our country, our manufacturers have almost taken over the manufacture of its latest generation of prevention and control systems, and 90% of its natural gas exports also go to our country.
These are signs that the previously closed country is trying to explore the possibility of opening up in order to find more opportunities for development. As a partner, we eagerly look forward to Turkmenistan's future development.