TURKMENISTAN AND COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES: NEW PAGES IN MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY
As a full-fledged member of the world community, permanent Neutral Turkmenistan commits to effective cooperation with the countries of the world based on mutual benefit, equality, and a long-term strategy. These peaceful principles fully align with the priorities of our foreign policy strategy, which originates from the wise wisdom of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, our Hero Arkadag, and is currently being raised to new heights under the leadership of our esteemed President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. In the current period, our Motherland is further advancing its cooperation with the states of the world in both bilateral and multilateral formats. This is great importance, particularly within the framework of international organizations, including the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Building its relations with the CIS member states on the foundation of friendship, ancient good-neighborliness, and mutual trust formed throughout history, Turkmenistan always occupies an active and initiative-taking role in multifaceted cooperation platforms. With the aim of ensuring peace, stability, and economic growth in the region, our country consistently puts forward concrete initiatives of global significance for the effective utilization of the vast resources and intellectual potential of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
As we know, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is currently an important international intergovernmental organization in international relations, and it was established on December 21, 1991, with the signing by heads of state in the city of Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan. Its headquarters is located in the city of Minsk, Republic of Belarus. Its charter (legal act) was adopted in January 1993. On January 19, 1996, the common flag of the Commonwealth of Independent States was created. Currently, 8 countries hold full membership in the organization. Since the day it joined the organization, permanently Neutral Turkmenistan has chaired the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2012 and 2019. During this period, our Motherland put forward new initiatives to increase cooperation with the member states of the organization in political-diplomatic, trade-economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres, and gained great experience in implementing them. In the year 2026, titled «Independent, Permanently Neutral Turkmenistan - Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses», our country is chairing this international organization for the 3rd time.
Approaching this important task with a high level of responsibility, our country strives to provide comprehensive support for the joint resolution of the set objectives. In this regard, a corresponding Concept has been developed, encompassing the main directions of interstate cooperation. Consequently, in the political sphere, special attention has been paid to strengthening regional security and an atmosphere of mutual trust, promoting the principles of permanent Neutrality of Turkmenistan, and effectively utilizing diplomatic mechanisms to reinforce the role of the CIS as a platform for peaceful dialogue and mutual understanding. Standing in favor of coordinating efforts to protect international law, our country proposes that partner states develop a coordinated diplomatic course within the framework of the United Nations (UN).
Within the framework of Turkmenistan's chairmanship of the CIS in 2026, various consultative and commission meetings, as well as a number of other encounters and events, are being held. On May 22, 2026, the Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States was held in Ashgabat under the chairmanship of our country. At this historic meeting, this very concept of cooperation was put forward by Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan strives to advance initiatives aimed at developing cooperation in the trade and economic sphere. Alongside this, special attention is paid to interaction in the field of innovation. Currently, it serves as a crucial prerequisite for competitiveness on a global scale.
In this regard, it is necessary to note that the Declaration on Strategic Economic Cooperation of the CIS Member States was adopted at the Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States held in Ashgabat in 2019, also under the chairmanship of Turkmenistan. Adopted on the basis of the initiative of our National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, this document clearly demonstrates the active position of the Turkmen side in matters of further strengthening and developing broad, mutually beneficial cooperation across the Commonwealth space. This historic document has contributed to further strengthening the economic cooperation of the member states.
The humanitarian sphere, including education, science, culture, tourism, sports, educational exchanges, and the mass media, has been defined as a priority area of Turkmenistan's chairmanship in the CIS. The healthcare and sports sectors are also among the key areas for uniting efforts. As is well known, the year 2026 has been declared the «Year of Healthcare» in the Commonwealth of Independent States. Furthermore, at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the CIS held in Ashgabat in 2024, the Ashgabat city was declared the «City of New Sports Opportunities of the Commonwealth». Turkmenistan actively cooperates in this field with foreign partners, including the CIS countries. The Concept also reflects issues of strengthening cooperation in areas such as ecology and environmental protection, the introduction of environmentally friendly technologies, and the transition to a "green" economy. Consequently, this document is aimed at further developing multifaceted interstate cooperation and enriching it with new substance, taking into account current realities and future prospects.Turkmenistan, has put forward concrete initiatives in the transport-logistics and energy sectors, as well as in several other areas.
Consequently, the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States held in Ashgabat during the year titled «Independent, Permanently Neutral Turkmenistan - Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses» confirmed our state's commitment to bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as effective international relations within the framework of the CIS. It also reaffirmed the aspiration of the Commonwealth member states to further intensify wide-ranging cooperation that serves the interests of global prosperity and sustainable development.
Hojamyrat BAYLYYEV,
the 4th year student of the Faculty of International Relations
of the Institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan