Turkmenistan and Russia: Key Outcomes and Plans for 2026

Following a press briefing by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to Turkmenistan, Ivan Volynkin, the main directions and outcomes of Turkmen–Russian cooperation were outlined, along with plans for bilateral engagement in 2026 across the political, economic and humanitarian spheres.

On 9 October, the National Tourist Zone of Avaza will host a meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), with the participation of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. In 2026, Turkmenistan will assume the CIS chairmanship. The year will also be marked by visits to the country by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as well as by bilateral consultations on regional security.

Economic cooperation continues to show steady growth. Over the first ten months of 2025, trade turnover between Russia and Turkmenistan increased by 35 per cent, exceeding the total figure for the whole of 2024. Russia remains one of Turkmenistan’s leading trading partners, reflecting the deepening of business ties and the expansion of mutual trade.

Educational and humanitarian cooperation is also developing dynamically. Final coordination is under way on an intergovernmental agreement to establish a Turkmen–Russian university in Ashgabat. More than 54,000 students from Turkmenistan are currently studying at Russian higher education institutions, with a quota of 500 state-funded places allocated for 2025. In 2025, the two countries held over 190 cultural and humanitarian events attended by around 16,000 people, highlighting strong public interest in bilateral cooperation.

Source: www.turkmenportal.com