Speeches

Remarks by Ambassador Jacobson on the Anniversary of Turkmenistan Independence Day

Oct. 27, 2005

Altyn Asyr TV Channel

On behalf of the American people, I congratulate the people of Turkmenistan on their fourteenth Independence Day.

In the United States, we are preparing to celebrate our 230 th anniversary of Independence. We Americans believe that living as citizens of an independent country not only gives us certain rights, but also certain responsibilities. For us, independence goes hand in hand with the constantly evolving process of developing our democracy, which gives every citizen the right to participate in deciding the country’s future, and the responsibility to play a productive role in building that future.

As Turkmenistan prepares to celebrate another year of Independence, the American Embassy would once again like to express its readiness to cooperate with the people and government of Turkmenistan in the areas of democratic reform, economic reform and security cooperation. All three areas are important for Turkmenistan’s future stability and prosperity.

We appreciate Turkmenistan’s cooperation in the war on terror and its support for the Proliferation Security Initiative, as well as its willingness to cooperate in training and equipment programs for security, military, and law enforcement personnel. We are proud of our cooperation in the area of education and culture – we have sent over 1200 Turkmen students and professionals on exchange programs since Turkmenistan’s independence, and sponsored a host of cultural exchanges and preservation of important historical objects. In the coming year, we hope to expand our cooperation across the broad range of our bilateral relationship.

The American community in Turkmenistan, including our team at the embassy and all our Peace Corps volunteers throughout the country, look forward to celebrating the rights and responsibilities of independence with you on October 27.