CIS Meeting in St Petersburg: Turkmenistan Prepares to Assume the Chairmanship in 2026

On 22 December of the outgoing year, the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, took part in an informal meeting of the Heads of State of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), held in the St George’s Hall of the State Hermitage Museum. Prior to the meeting, the leaders viewed the museum’s exhibition, underscoring the humanitarian agenda and the shared cultural values of the CIS member states.

Summing up the year, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, expressed support for Turkmenistan in connection with its forthcoming assumption of the CIS chairmanship from 1 January 2026, noting Ashgabat’s contribution to strengthening good-neighbourly relations and security in Eurasia. His remarks also outlined the priorities of integration, including the growth of mutual settlements in national currencies (exceeding 96 per cent), the development of the North-South and East-West transport corridors, as well as the deepening of digitalisation and import substitution.

The informal summit confirmed Turkmenistan’s growing role within the CIS. The forthcoming chairmanship is regarded as an opportunity to give fresh impetus to cooperation in the fields of energy, transport, environmental protection, and regional stability, grounded in the principles of neutrality and the central role of the United Nations in international affairs.

Source: www.kremlin.ru