Vladimir Putin: International Relations Enter a Period of Radical Change

“The world is facing unprecedented threats generated by civilizational fault lines, inter-ethnic and inter-religious conflicts, when international relations have entered an era of radical global change, when a new world order is taking shape, reflecting the diversity of the entire planet. And this natural process is irreversible,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address to world leaders gathered in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, on Friday, October 11, within the framework of the International Forum “Interconnection of Times and Civilizations.”

According to the Russian president, “international relations have entered an era of radical change.” Putin also emphasized that “peace and universal development can be guaranteed only by taking into account the opinion of each individual state and each individual people, respecting their sovereignty and autonomy.”

Despite the blatantly anti-Russian policy pursued by the United States and its allies, Putin said Russia remains “open to discussing the parameters of the new world order with all partners in the international arena.” These discussions will primarily take place within international groupings, including the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the BRICS group, which will gather for an annual summit October 22-24 in Kazan, Russia. Putin invited Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov and other international leaders attending the Ashgabat forum to participate in the BRICS summit.

In this context, the Russian president thanked Berdymukhamedov and the authorities of Turkmenistan, one of the five former Soviet republics of Central Asia, for their contribution to “maintaining peace and stability in the region.”