principle of our state. Since the very first day, we have known that peace and trust are the secrets of life on earth. Developing our good-will further, we started the Open Door Policy in the economic realm and we accepted neutral status in our foreign policy. Believing that integration with the world depends on our being committed to it and loving everybody and that this is possible first of all by ensuring peace in our own country, we regarded the foundation of the Türkmen State as one of our primary duties. All the countries of the world, starting with the neighboring countries in the region accepted the rightness of our path and started to support us. By a unanimous vote of 185 states, on 12 December 1995 the Central Assembly of the United Nations gave our state the status of Permanent Neutrality. Thus, for the first time in history, the neutrality of a state was legalized and we became officially the only neutral state in the world. We put the olive bough, which is the symbol of peace in the United Nations’ flag, on our green flag.

To recognize the humanitarian ideas and particular qualities that make us a nation, and to bring these values to light as an example for us and our descendants is very important. I have thought a lot on this subject and I have always shared my ideas with my people. Finally, I have reached this conclusion: there must be a book that integrates the most valuable characteristics, the spirit of the Türkmens on earth. That is to say, the Türkmens shall have a Ruhnama. By the way, this book can take the place of our lost books and be, after the Qur’an, the book of the Türkmens. Besides, until now Türkmens have not been able to found a state on their own land based on such moral unity, though they have established numerous states elsewhere. We can now confidently say that we have established a state in a spirit of unity. Our Ruhnama has the nature of a bridge that leads us to this. Ruhnama is a