Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev sent greetings to participants and organisers of the International Chess Tournament, which began in Ashgabat. The competition is part of a programme dedicated to Ashgabat's status as the ‘City of New Sports Opportunities of the CIS,’ according to the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

According to the source, the CIS Secretary General noted that chess is not just a sport, but an important tool for developing thinking, perseverance and a strategic approach. The age of the participants gives the tournament special significance, as it is at such competitions that future champions and intellectual leaders are nurtured.

Sergey Lebedev emphasised that the development of sport in Turkmenistan is a priority of state policy. He expressed confidence that holding the tournament in Ashgabat at a high level will contribute not only to improving the chess skills of young players, but also to strengthening friendly ties between athletes from the CIS and other countries.