At a meeting of the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the CIS Member States held in Ashgabat, Deputy Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Andrey Malyshev delivered a speech on prospects for cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. He praised the high standard of arrangements for the Russian delegation’s visit and expressed his gratitude to the Turkmen side for its hospitality, according to the news agency "Turkmenistan: Golden Age".

According to the Russian official, visits to Turkmenistan are consistently marked by a warm and welcoming reception, reflecting the friendly nature of relations between the two countries.

Andrey Malyshev identified cinema as one of the key priorities for cultural cooperation during the celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the CIS. In this regard, the Russian Ministry of Culture, together with the CIS Executive Committee and the State Central Museum of Cinema in Moscow, proposed organizing a special exhibition. The exhibition will focus on the emergence and development of the national cinematographies of the CIS member states over the years of independence.

Addressing the further development of Russian-Turkmen cultural ties, the Deputy Minister outlined several promising areas of cooperation. These include implementing joint creative projects, strengthening professional links between artistic groups, and expanding educational exchanges.

He also highlighted the training of specialists from Turkmenistan at the Moscow State Institute of Culture. A joint performance by students in music and theatre, held as part of the events in Ashgabat, was cited as a positive example of this cooperation.

Another important priority identified by Andrey Malyshev was the establishment of permanent platforms for cultural exchange. He cited the Days of Turkmen Culture in Moscow and the International Conference on the Development of Creative Industries, held on 18 June 2026 in St. Petersburg, as successful examples.

According to Malyshev, the Moscow programme brought together traditional national crafts, musical performances, appearances by young artists and professional dialogue between representatives of the two countries within a single cultural project.

The St. Petersburg forum, in turn, provided a platform for sharing experience and discussing prospects for humanitarian cooperation. Official delegations from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan took part in the event.

Concluding his speech, the representative of the Russian Ministry of Culture drew attention to Turkmenistan’s national motto for 2026: “Independent, Permanently Neutral Turkmenistan – the Homeland of Purposeful and Winged Horses.” He stressed that the development of contemporary art should go hand in hand with preserving national traditions and cultural heritage.

In summary, Andrey Malyshev noted that sustainable cultural cooperation is built on the joint efforts of artists, the exchange of experience and mutual trust. He identified friendship between the peoples of the two countries as the main foundation for further cooperation.