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53 transactions were concluded on the SCRMET in the domestic and foreign markets
31.03.2026Last week, 53 transactions were conducted on the State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange of Turkmenistan. This was reported by TDH. Foreign buyers from the UAE, Turkey, Afghanistan, Georgia and Uzbekistan purchased polypropylene, base oil and motor petrol produced by the State Concern ‘Türkmennebit’. Businessmen from Singapore purchased urea from the ‘Türkmenhimiýa’ State Concern. Wheat flour, plain-dyed and jacquard terry products, terry cloth, medical cotton wool, cotton buds and cotton yarn were also sold for foreign currency. Purchasing countries: UAE, Turkey, Azerbaijan. The total value of export transactions exceeded US$350.7 million. On the domestic market, local businesses purchased polypropylene, base oil, furnace fuel and packaging film (‘Türkmennebit’ State Concern), as well as wheat flour. The value of domestic transactions amounted to 269 million 30 thousand manats.
The Charitable Foundation of Turkmenistan has helped more than 2,400 children
31.03.2026The Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship has helped more than 2,400 children since its establishment. This was announced by Oguljahan Atabayeva, the Foundation’s Vice-President for Medical Activities, at a Board meeting in Arkadag, according to TDH. According to her, 2,467 children have received treatment at the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Children’s Health and Rehabilitation Centre, which combines modern technology with natural remedies of local origin. During this time, 758 operations have been performed. Atabayeva highlighted the development of the Foundation’s international cooperation. In 2025, memoranda were signed with the UNICEF Office in Turkmenistan, the Chinese Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Working visits were also made to Monaco, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, China, Russia and Qatar. The final document of the international conference in Arkadag was translated into the official languages of the UN and submitted to the 79th session of the General Assembly.
The US President has sent a message of congratulations to the President of Turkmenistan
31.03.2026The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has sent a message of congratulations to the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, on the occasion of the Nowruz holiday. This was reported by AsmanNews. In his message, Mr. Trump conveyed his best wishes and noted that Nowruz symbolises peace both in the US and throughout the world. He expressed the hope that the coming year would be filled with noble deeds and offered his congratulations on the holiday.
The Turkmenistan Badminton Federation has been awarded a prestigious international prize
31.03.2026The Turkmenistan Badminton Federation has received international recognition: at a ceremony held on 28 March in Bali under the auspices of the Badminton Asia Confederation, the organisation was awarded a special certificate in recognition of its contribution to the development of sport and humanitarian values. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. The document highlights the federation’s role in nurturing future champions and strengthening community spirit. The award was presented by the Confederation’s President, Kim Jong Soo. Among all Asian federations, only 13 organisations have received such recognition. Experts emphasised Turkmenistan’s systematic approach to sports infrastructure and the involvement of young people in an active lifestyle. Founded in November 2024, the federation has, in a short space of time, established training programmes and strengthened the country’s position as a promising participant in the international Olympic movement in Asia.
The UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan highlighted the achievements of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Foundation
31.03.2026Narine Sahakyan, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan, congratulated the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship on its fifth anniversary, noting that children in the country are provided with healthcare, education and a peaceful life due to the government’s policies. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. The Foundation’s anniversary was celebrated in the central square of Arkadag, where representatives of international organisations, including N. Sahakyan and the UNICEF Representative in Turkmenistan, Jalpa Ratna, were awarded the ‘Arkadag’ medal. N. Sahakyan emphasised that the award was a credit to the entire UNDP team, which has been working in Turkmenistan for over 30 years, and noted the importance of working together for the benefit of children, which strengthens faith in a bright future.
UNICEF aims to develop cooperation with the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Foundation
31.03.2026UNICEF’s Representative in Turkmenistan, Jalpa Ratna, congratulated the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship on its fifth anniversary, highlighting its contribution to the protection of children’s rights and expressing a willingness to continue cooperation. This was reported by the news website Turkmenportal. Ms Ratna emphasised the importance of the partnership between UNICEF and the Foundation, based on care for children in need of special support, and noted that the aim of the cooperation is to create conditions for the full development of every child. An important step was the signing on 10 December 2025 of a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening joint efforts. In honour of the Foundation’s anniversary, J. Ratna received the ‘Arkadag’ medal on behalf of all partners working for the benefit of children.
Turkmenistan and the EU have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation
30.03.2026Sapar Palvanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan, held a meeting in Brussels with Sylwia Kosinska, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of the European Parliament. This was reported by the press service of the diplomatic mission of Turkmenistan. The parties discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the European Union, emphasising the importance of high-level contacts, the development of bilateral cooperation and the ‘EU–Central Asia’ format. Particular attention was paid to the international agenda, including climate issues. It was noted that Turkmenistan, as an energy producer, has joined the Global Methane Pledge. The participants also gave a positive assessment of the inter-parliamentary dialogue held in Brussels in March, describing it as an important platform for discussing economic and humanitarian issues. Energy, transport, critical raw materials and climate were identified as priority areas for cooperation. The need to further modernise the legal framework for cooperation was also emphasised. Furthermore, the parties noted the growing role of Turkmenistan and the Central Asian region as a consistent transport bridge between Europe and Asia. Following the meeting, mutual interest in continuing the dialogue and expanding practical cooperation was reaffirmed.
The Ambassador of Turkmenistan held a meeting with Japan’s Minister for Economic Security
30.03.2026On 26 March, a meeting took place in Tokyo between Atadurdy Bayramov, Turkmenistan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan, and Kimi Onoda, Minister of State for Economic Security. This was reported by the press service of the Turkmen diplomatic mission. During the negotiations, the Turkmen diplomat expressed his gratitude to the Japanese side for its contribution to the strengthening and development of Turkmen-Japanese relations. The interlocutors discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral cooperation, paying particular attention to areas such as artificial intelligence and digital transformation, scientific and innovative cooperation, ‘green’ technologies, the development of education and support for talented young people, the expansion of contacts between universities and relevant organisations, as well as issues of economic and cyber security. It is noted that K. Onoda also holds the post of Minister of State responsible for the ‘Cool Japan’ strategy, intellectual property policy and scientific and technological development. Furthermore, she is a member of the Japan–Turkmenistan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group.
Turkmenistan is strengthening its trade partnership as part of the TFCA project
30.03.2026A meeting of the Steering Committee for the implementation of the TFCA Regional Project, carried out by GIZ on the initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), took place in Turkmenistan. The event was held under the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the country’s Ministry of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations in March 2024, reports IIC. The meeting served as a platform to review the work carried out in 2024–2025 and to define cooperation priorities within the TFCA and TCTC projects up to 2029. Representatives of relevant ministries and agencies of Turkmenistan, as well as project managers, took part in the discussions. Particular attention was paid to the establishment of an Inter-ministerial Working Group on the simplification of trade procedures, which receives advisory support from GIZ. This group will help to speed up trade operations, increase transparency and reduce administrative barriers, which directly supports the growth of trade turnover and the country’s economic development. During the meeting, participants discussed the results achieved and outlined key activities for the coming period. The meeting was attended by Nazar Agahanov, Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations of Turkmenistan, and Joachim Fritz, GIZ Coordinator in Turkmenistan.
Turkmenistan's U16 tennis players have reached the semi-finals of the Davis Cup
30.03.2026Turkmenistan’s junior tennis team finished fourth out of 15 teams at the preliminary qualifying tournament for the U16 Davis Cup in the Asia-Oceania zone, which concluded in Colombo (Sri Lanka). This was reported by the publication ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The team, seeded sixth, was represented by 9th grade students: Suleyman Hudayberdiyev (Specialised Secondary School No. 86, Ashgabat), Ali Geldiyev (School for the Training of Young Olympians) and Kerimgeldi Guldurdyev (A.S. Pushkin Joint Turkmen-Russian School). In the group stage, the Turkmenistan team finished top of Group ‘B’, beating the Oman team 3–0 and defeating the teams from Myanmar and Singapore 2–1 in hard-fought matches. In the quarter-finals, the Turkmen tennis players secured a confident 2-0 victory over the Philippines. In the semi-finals, the Turkmenistan team lost 0–2 to the third-seeded Vietnamese side, showing resilience and fighting spirit in two lengthy singles matches. In the third-place play-off, the Turkmen juniors lost to Sri Lanka, conceding only in the doubles match – 1–2. The team thus finished the tournament in fourth place, achieving their best result in all their years of participation in the regional Davis Cup qualifiers. Ali Geldiyev made a significant contribution to this success, securing five victories in six singles matches at tournaments in Qatar and Thailand. Kerimgeldi Guldurdyev and Suleyman Hudayberdiyev, who have experience of competing in international tournaments, also played an active part in the team’s victories. The juniors’ preparation for the tournament was overseen by their personal coaches and the captain of the Turkmenistan national team, Gurbanberdi Gurbanberdiyev. Ali Geldiyev honed his skills under Gurbanberdi Gurbanberdiyev and Meylis Orazmuhammedov, Suleyman Hudayberdiyev trained under the guidance of Yuri Rogussky, and Kerimgeldi Guldurdyev under Hajymyrat Charyev. In the final of the preliminary tournament, the teams from Malaysia and Vietnam competed for a place in the final qualifying round, where the Malaysian tennis players secured a 2-0 victory. The Davis Cup Junior was established by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in 1985 as the World Cup for boys under 16 and has been held under its current name since 2002. The winners of the regional qualifiers advance to the final stage, where they compete for the title of champion.
Chinese Ambassador: Relations with Turkmenistan have reached the level of a strategic partnership
30.03.2026Ji Shumin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Turkmenistan, emphasised that Chinese-Turkmen relations have reached the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. He noted that the visit to Beijing by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, had opened a new chapter in the development of bilateral cooperation. This was reported by the publication ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The Ambassador recalled that from 17 to 19 March, at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov paid a friendly visit to China. This was the first visit by a foreign leader following the conclusion of the annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, key events in the socio-political life of the PRC. ‘The visit of the National Leader of the Turkmen people to Beijing was an important step which, by linking the past and the future, opened a new chapter in bilateral relations. President Xi Jinping held a cordial meeting with Hero Arkadag. The sides discussed in detail the strengthening of cooperation in various fields, reached broad consensus and gave a powerful impetus to joint work,’ emphasised Ji Shumin. The Ambassador also spoke highly of the current level of relations between the two countries, noting that the dynamic development of Chinese-Turkmen relations serves as a model of political cooperation. ‘Political mutual trust between China and Turkmenistan is steadily strengthening. The friendly ties between our peoples have deep historical roots. Our countries are good friends, brothers and partners who support one another. Over the 34 years of diplomatic relations, Chinese-Turkmen ties have maintained steady, sound and consistent development, reaching a new level of comprehensive strategic partnership,’ noted Ji Shumin.
A programme of cultural events for April has been announced in Turkmenistan
30.03.2026On 27 March, Bahar Seyidova, Deputy Chairwoman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, presented a plan of events and the opening of social and cultural facilities for April during a government meeting. This was reported by the state news agency TDH. Next month will see forums, exhibitions, creative gatherings, competitions and events timed to coincide with the 2026 motto ‘Independent Neutral Turkmenistan − the Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses’, the 35th anniversary of independence, World Health Day and the National Day of the Turkmen horse. The results of previously announced creative competitions will also be announced. The capital will host the ‘Turkmentravel – 2026’ International Exhibition and Conference, whilst the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theatre will host a festive concert by the Symphony Orchestra of the Maya Kuliyeva Turkmen National Conservatory. Having heard the report, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov emphasised the importance of thorough preparation for the events and instructed the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure a high standard of organisation for the ceremonies and the opening of social and cultural facilities.
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