At the meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States, held on 9 October in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov delivered a speech in which he spoke about the results of cooperation carried out within the Commonwealth and its future directions. This was reported by the State News Agency of Turkmenistan.
The Head of State noted that, while chairing the CIS in 2026, Turkmenistan attached great importance to the timely and effective implementation of the planned events. During the current year, meetings of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS, the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Economic Council and other structures were held, making an important contribution to the development of cooperation. The President of Turkmenistan expressed gratitude to the delegations of all participating states, as well as to CIS Secretary General Sergey Lebedev, for effective cooperation.
The speech highly assessed the path taken by the Commonwealth during the period of celebrating the 35th anniversary of its establishment. The Head of State noted that the states had preserved the foundation of cooperation based on the principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit.
The Honourable President emphasized the importance of developing trade and economic relations, expanding political and diplomatic ties, as well as strengthening humanitarian cooperation in the fields of culture, science, education, sports and tourism. Noting the growing activity of interparliamentary relations, he stressed that Turkmenistan is putting forward a number of initiatives in this area.
The speech paid special attention to cooperation in the transport sector. It addressed Turkmenistan’s initiative to declare 2029 as the “Year of Transport Connectivity of the Commonwealth of Independent States”, as well as issues related to the implementation of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport for 2026–2035.
It was noted that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to the development of transport and transit corridors, increasing their efficiency, and expanding opportunities for landlocked countries. In this regard, the significance of the “Avaza Political Declaration”, adopted following the UN conference held in Turkmenistan, was emphasized.
The President of Turkmenistan highlighted the important role of the Caspian Sea in regional transport connectivity and stated the importance of expanding the potential of the North–South transport corridor. He also noted the need to develop industrial and technological cooperation and create production chains.
Speaking about international issues, Honourable President Serdar Berdimuhamedov stated the importance of preserving the UN Charter and the principles of international law. Noting that, on the initiative of Turkmenistan, the UN General Assembly declared 2028 as the “International Year of Law”, he expressed gratitude to the states that supported this initiative.
At the conclusion of his speech, the President of Turkmenistan expressed gratitude to the heads of state who supported the country’s initiative of chairing the CIS and stated that Turkmenistan would continue its efforts to strengthen relations of friendship and good-neighbourliness within the Commonwealth.
