President of Turkmenistan Received the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States

On October 8, 2026, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Sergey Lebedev, who had arrived in Turkmenistan to participate in the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State.

Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to meet, Sergey Lebedev emphasized that the Commonwealth highly values ​​the support Turkmenistan provides for the development of cooperation and multifaceted dialogue within the CIS framework.

It was noted that Turkmenistan assumes an active and proactive position in strengthening economic and humanitarian ties across the Commonwealth region. The CIS Secretary General conveyed warm greetings to Hero-Arkadag, noting the significant contribution made by the National Leader of the Turkmen people to expanding traditional cooperation among the Organization’s member states.

Warmly welcoming the guest, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov wished for the successful conduct of the upcoming meeting of the Commonwealth Council of Heads of State, which will serve as a platform for exchanging views on a wide range of international agenda issues.  He expressed confidence that the meeting’s outcomes will make a substantial contribution to the further development of trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation within the CIS region.

It was emphasized that partnership within the Commonwealth of Independent States is a key priority of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy. As an associate member of the CIS, Turkmenistan advocates for intensifying effective cooperation across the Commonwealth, which possesses significant potential and opportunities in a wide variety of fields. Turkmenistan actively participates in summits, meetings, and events held within the framework of the CIS, engages in extensive cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, culture, and sports, and advocates for the further coordination of efforts in the transport and energy sectors.

As part of Turkmenistan’s CIS chairmanship this year, the country hosted significant events, including the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government, the 84th meeting of the Council on Railway Transport of CIS Member States, as well as the meetings of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers and the Council for Cultural Cooperation of CIS Member States.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan advocates for strengthening direct contacts among experts in culture, the arts, and science, adding that special attention was paid to developing cultural and humanitarian cooperation during Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the CIS this year.

In this context, the National Tourist Zone “Avaza” is currently hosting a meeting of the leadership of state and public TV and radio organizations of the CIS, an award ceremony for the winners of the “Flight of the Steed: Power and Grace” interstate television film contest, and a national cuisine festival featuring an exhibition by CIS member states. These events are designed to showcase rich cultural and historical heritage and to strengthen humanitarian ties among the peoples of the Commonwealth countries.

The Head of State expressed his assuredness that the further expansion of cultural and humanitarian contacts, along with the holding of joint festivals and Days of Culture and Cinema, would serve to deepen the traditional relations of friendship and mutual respect among the peoples of our countries. Turkmenistan intends to continue actively developing these ties to achieve constructive results that will make a significant contribution to strengthening friendship and good-neighborly relations among CIS member states.

President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed his gratitude to all the staff of the CIS Executive Committee, and to Sergey Lebedev in particular, for the joint work and the successful coordination of efforts in arranging the upcoming CIS Summit.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and the CIS Secretary General exchanged best wishes, expressing confidence that multilateral cooperation within the CIS region will continue to develop successfully and be enriched with new content.