Turkmenistan intends to establish a Competence Center in the field of Artificial Intelligence on the basis of the «Türkmentelekom" Telecommunications Company. This was announced by the Minister of Communications, Hajyymyrat Hudaygulyev, during a session at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF-2026) titled «Digital Future: Common Development Vectors, Challenges, and Solutions». The news was reported on the official «Türkmentelekom» website. According to the Minister, the center will focus on supporting national digital priorities, conducting research, and training highly qualified specialists. In parallel, the ministry plans to launch joint pilot projects with international partners to apply AI in managing transport and logistics corridors, forecasting in the oil and gas sector, and optimizing water resources in agriculture. Khudaygulyev emphasized that over the past three years, the capacity of international internet channels in the country has increased tenfold, forming the foundation for the development of digital services, e-commerce, and cross-border data exchange. According to him, Turkmenistan views artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, and cybersecurity as key drivers of economic growth, and is already implementing AI solutions in education, healthcare, agriculture, and transportation.