First impressions are great!
Within the walls of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the opening ceremony of the international competition “International Relations: a Culture of Peaceful Dialogue” took place, which is being held these days in the turkmen capital. More than 40 masters and students from 11 prestigious higher educational institutions of 9 foreign countries, as well as students from 22 higher educational institutions of our country, take part in this international competition.
Igor Okunev, the supervisor of the Russian team, Candidate of Political Sciences, Assistant Professor of the Department of Comparative Political Science and Director of the Center for Spatial Analysis of International Relations at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, acted as one of the speakers who welcomed the participants of the competition. In his speech, he noted that, as a long-term partner from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, he actively supports the initiatives of the Turkmen side, just as Russia in the political arena fully supports the peace-loving principles of Turkmenistan, voiced from the high tribune of the UN General Assembly. According to I. Okunev’s opinion, diplomacy is the science of how to make friends, and it is always difficult to make friends, because for this you need to know foreign languages, be able to respect the culture and traditions of other nations. Friendship cannot be learned by sitting in libraries, but it can be developed by communicating and actively interacting with each other. And in this context, the competition site provides participants with a unique opportunity to establish contacts and find new friends in the name of strengthening peace and mutual understanding. Expressing hope for the regular holding of this competition, the professor wished good luck to all its participants.
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— What is your first impression of our country? Mostafa Yousefi, Assistant Professor of International Relations Ferdowsi of University of Mashhad:
— First of all, I would like to say that it is a great honor for us to be here in this beautiful country. The organization of the competition is on a really high level, it has been felt since our arrival in Turkmenistan. I appreciate you for inviting us to Turkmenistan for participation in the international competition “International Relations: a Culture of Peaceful Dialogue.” I'm so excited to become a winner of the individual form of the international competition! Ashgabat is an amazing white, clean city with beautiful authentic architecture, and we admire the commitment of the Turkmen people to the primordial national traditions. The people here are very friendly and helpful. I would like to express my gratitude to the Turkmen side for the warm welcome!
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— What are your impressions after getting acquainted with our institute? Have you met with the traditions and peculiarities of the Turkmen culture before? Aina Yetrek, the student of the Caspian University of Technology and Engineering named after Sh. Yessenov from the Republic of Kazakhstan:
— I expected that there would be an ordinary acquaintance with the university, but as it turned out, everything was thought out to the smallest detail. The university teachers greeted us warm heartedly The first time I visited Turkmenistan was when I was a child, then I came with my parents, who are natives of this fraternal neighboring republic. I was six years old, but despite this, I still remember the hospitality and warmth with which the friendly Turkmen people greeted us. When I came to Turkmenistan again, more than ten years later, I was amazed at how much your country has changed. I was very impressed by the Turkmen women, their amazing outfits, and I was very pleased to learn that Turkmen women not only carefully preserve traditional elements of culture, but also improve them. All participants from other countries liked the national women's outfits. I was also struck by the fact that the beautiful marble vestments of your capital are surrounded by greenery. Ashgabat is a very comfortable and peaceful modern city. I am grateful that we were greeted so warmly. Speaking about the upcoming competition, firstly, I would like to wish all participants good luck, and secondly, I would like to thank all the organizers of the competition "International Relations: a Culture of peaceful dialogue". We have meticulously prepared in such areas as diplomacy and international economic relations and we want to show a good result.
Interviewer:
Orazjemal CHARIYAROVA,
the 1st year student of the Faculty
of International Journalism.