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Turkmenistan and the CIS have agreed on a plan for the chairmanship in 2026
24.01.2026Esen Aydogdyev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation, held a meeting with Sergey Lebedev, Secretary General of the CIS. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. The parties discussed practical aspects of Turkmenistan's chairmanship of the Commonwealth in 2026. The interlocutors agreed on a schedule of meetings and the organisation of key events, paying particular attention to the content of the agenda. Sergey Lebedev highly appreciated the active role of Ashgabat and assured the support of the CIS Executive Committee for the successful implementation of the Concept of the Chairmanship. The parties emphasised the importance of coordinated work to strengthen multilateral partnerships and implement projects in the economy, transport and humanitarian spheres.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan held talks with the US Special Envoy
23.01.2026On 22 January, Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov held a meeting with US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor. This was reported by the online publication ‘Business Turkmenistan’. The discussion focused on prospects for economic cooperation of mutual interest to both countries. The parties also exchanged views on regional stability issues. The American side noted the high level of diplomatic cooperation with Turkmenistan. As part of the visit, the US Embassy organised a reception for representatives of American and Turkmen businesses.
Turkmenistan and Saudi Arabia discussed cooperation in equestrian sports
23.01.2026On 22 January, Turkmenistan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Muhammetgeldi Ayazov, met with the Executive Director of the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation, Fouad bin Fahd Ibrahim. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Fouad bin Fahd Ibrahim spoke about the activities of the Federation and the national and international competitions it holds. In turn, the Ambassador of Turkmenistan announced that the motto for 2026 is ‘Independent Neutral Turkmenistan − the Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses’ and emphasised the priority development of horse breeding, increasing the number of Ahal-Teke horses and raising their global prestige. The parties also discussed the prospects for cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Saudi Equestrian Federation.
Turkmenistan and Turkey discussed the motto for 2026 and prospects for partnership
23.01.2026On 22 January, the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Turkey held a conference dedicated to the motto of the year – Independent Neutral Turkmenistan − the Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses – and issues of trade and economic cooperation between the countries. This was reported by the IIC. The event was held at the Ankara Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It was attended by representatives of Turkish ministries and departments, diplomats, representatives of international and socio-political organisations, think tanks, the scientific and creative community, the Turkmen diaspora, students and the media. The first session emphasised that the 2026 motto continues the ideas of 2025, which was declared by the UN as the International Year of Peace and Trust. The symbolism of the motto reflects the historical commitment of the Turkmen people to their roots and the country's current international activity. Separate mention was made of the initiative to proclaim 2028 as the International Year of Law and the preparations for the 35th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence. The second session discussed the prospects for Turkmen-Turkish economic cooperation, investments in oil and gas chemistry, agriculture, transport, logistics, telecommunications and IT. It was noted that Turkmenistan is actively developing the private sector and creating favourable conditions for foreign investors.
A seminar on biosafety issues was held in Ashgabat
23.01.2026From 20 to 22 January, a seminar on the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention, organised with the support of the OSCE, was held in Ashgabat. The event was aimed at strengthening national capacity and developing inter-agency cooperation, according to the news website Turkmenportal. The seminar was attended by representatives of law enforcement and border control agencies, the health care system and the academic community. Participants underwent practical training in preparing annual reports on confidence-building measures and discussed opportunities for international cooperation in the field of biosafety. The seminar was held in partnership with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) through the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit, with the participation of OSCE structures and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, and was implemented as part of an extrabudgetary project of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat with financial support from the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Ashgabat marks the establishment of World Turkic Language Family Day
23.01.2026A ceremony dedicated to the proclamation of World Turkic Language Family Day, which UNESCO has designated as 15 December, was held in Ashgabat. This was reported by the state news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The event took place at the Cultural Centre of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey. The initiative to establish the date came from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The decision was taken at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, diplomatic missions of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey, as well as the media and residents of the capital. Ahmet Demirok, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Turkey to Turkmenistan, noted the importance of joint efforts to preserve linguistic heritage and cultural memory. He emphasised Turkmenistan's contribution to the development and support of the Turkic world. As part of the ceremony, guests were shown video materials about the history and culture of the Turkic world.
Turkmenistan outlined its priorities at the ‘Central Asia–Russia’ consultations
23.01.2026On 22 January, high-level consultations in the ‘Central Asia-Russia’ format were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The meeting was devoted to the implementation of the Joint Action Plan for 2025–2027. The Turkmen delegation was headed by Ambassador of Turkmenistan E. Aydogdyev, according to the press service of the diplomatic mission of Turkmenistan in the Russian Federation. In his speech, E. Aydogdyev noted the need for practical implementation of the initiatives announced by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at the second Summit of the Heads of State of Central Asia and the Russian Federation, held in October in Dushanbe. E. Aydogdyev emphasised Turkmenistan's support for proposals aimed at strengthening stability, trust and mutually beneficial cooperation, taking into account the national interests of all parties. The participants also discussed mechanisms for implementing the Summit agreements, including through consultations between relevant ministries and other state bodies of the six countries.
Turkmenistan's contribution to regional stability was recognised at the SPECA forum in Ashgabat
23.01.2026Secretary General of the ‘Central Asia-China’ format Sun Weidong noted Turkmenistan's contribution to strengthening regional dialogue and promoting peace initiatives. He made this statement at the SPECA Economic Forum in Ashgabat, according to Turkmenportal. According to him, geopolitical conflicts and rising protectionism are destabilising global supply chains. In these conditions, the Diplomat stressed, readiness for open dialogue is particularly important. He noted the active role of Turkmenistan as a permanently neutral state. Sun Weidong also highly praised Ashgabat's work as chair of SPECA and the country's contribution to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. He separately emphasised the strategic position of Central Asia, connecting East and West, and the importance of stability in the region for the entire Eurasian space. The Secretary-General noted the importance of systemic interconnectivity among the landlocked countries of the region. According to him, diversified logistics can transform Central Asia from a ‘geographical hub’ into a ‘development hub.’ He identified three key areas of cooperation: energy, transport and digitalisation of trade, describing them as the ‘iron triangle’ of regional interconnectedness.
Conference in Ashgabat highlights Central Asia's role in food security
23.01.2026Central Asia plays an important role in global food security. At the same time, the world needs to provide its population not just with food, but with functional nutrition that is beneficial to health. This was stated by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, according to Turkmenportal. The speech was delivered at the International Conference ‘Health and Nutrition in a Changing Climate’ in Ashgabat. According to him, food security should be assessed not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality. He noted that some foods do not contribute to maintaining health. The Head of the FAO highlighted three key elements of food security: availability, reliability and affordability. Qu Dongyu gave examples showing that even with the availability of food and reasonable prices, there may still be a shortage of healthy and functional food. He also recalled the historical role of Central Asia in food security and pointed to the impact of geopolitical processes in recent decades on the global food system.
The CIS Railway Transport Council meeting will be held in Turkmenistan
23.01.2026Turkmenistan will host the 84th meeting of the Council on Railway Transport of the CIS Member States. The event will take place in June 2026. This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan, Sylapberdi Nurberdiyev, at the SPECA Economic Forum in Ashgabat, reports AsmanNews. According to him, the Turkmen side is ready to organise the meeting and is counting on the participation of delegations from the CIS countries. He also invited the forum participants to join the future session of the Council. Sylapberdi Nurberdiyev noted that Turkmenistan is developing the region as an international transport and logistics hub and is open to joint infrastructure projects. Among the priorities, he mentioned the ‘Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman’ corridor, which could provide Central Asian countries with access to the ports of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. The importance of the ‘Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran’ railway line, the eastern route of the North-South corridor, was also emphasised. According to the Deputy Minister, this is one of the most efficient routes to the ports of the Gulf of Oman, which is in demand not only in the region, but also in Russia and China.
Turkmenistan modernises customs in preparation for WTO accession
23.01.2026Turkmenistan is modernising customs procedures and introducing digital solutions as part of its preparations for accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This was announced by Galina Romanova, Head of the consolidated department of public finance and economic policy at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan, according to Turkmenportal. The statement was made at the SPECA Economic Forum in Ashgabat. According to her, the key focus is on simplifying trade procedures at borders and transport corridors. These measures, as Romanova noted, are aimed at speeding up and increasing the transparency of foreign trade operations. She also said that after receiving observer status, Turkmenistan is studying WTO agreements, assessing their compliance with national interests and long-term development goals.
Turkmenistan presented its priorities for the CIS chairmanship at a meeting in Moscow
23.01.2026On 22 January, Moscow hosted the first event within the framework of Turkmenistan's chairmanship of the CIS – a meeting of the Commission on Economic Issues under the CIS Economic Council. The meeting was held at the CIS Executive Committee Office. The report was presented by the Plenipotentiary Representative of Turkmenistan, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Commission on Economic Issues E. Aydogdyev, according to the press service of the diplomatic mission of Turkmenistan. The Ambassador presented the main directions of Turkmenistan's concept for the CIS chairmanship in 2026. The political section outlines the priorities: strengthening regional security and trust, promoting the principles of neutrality and intensifying diplomatic dialogue. In the economic sphere, Turkmenistan intends to promote cooperation in transport, energy and trade, based on the CIS Economic Development Strategy until 2030. Particular emphasis is placed on the logistical potential of the CIS as a link between Eurasia, the Caspian, Central Asia and the Middle East. In this regard, it has been proposed to declare 2027 the Year of CIS Transport Connectivity. In the humanitarian sphere, the priorities are education, science, culture, tourism and cooperation in the media. The importance of the environmental agenda and sustainable development, including projects in the field of renewable energy and biodiversity conservation in the Caspian region, was also noted. Turkmenistan proposed to hold the Second Caspian Environmental Forum in 2026. The participants congratulated the representative of Turkmenistan on the start of the chairmanship and expressed their support. On the same day, E. Aydogdyev held a meeting with CIS Secretary General S. Lebedev. The parties discussed plans for joint work and the preparation of events within the framework of Turkmenistan's chairmanship.
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