President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday, June 25. Following the meeting, the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry made a comment for the media.

The head of Russian diplomacy highly praised the strategic nature of Turkmen-Russian relations, emphasizing their multifaceted and dynamically developing nature.

Lavrov conveyed gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan from Russian President Vladimir Putin for his personal participation in the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory in World War II.

During the conversation, other aspects of high-level contacts were touched upon, including the participation of National Leader of the Turkmen People Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in the XVI International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum" and his telephone conversation with the President of Russia.

At the meeting with the President of Turkmenistan, special attention was paid to the need to quickly determine the dates for the 13th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation. The key role of the two countries in the implementation of projects within the framework of the International Transport Corridor "North-South" being created, which is designed to significantly strengthen the logistics positions of the entire Eurasian continent and provide a connection between the northern and southern seas, was noted.

The humanitarian sphere traditionally occupies an important place in interaction. The progress of work on the project to create a new building for the Russian School named after A.S. Pushkin, the construction of a new building for the theater named after A.S. Pushkin and the draft intergovernmental agreement on the establishment of the Russian-Turkmen University in Ashgabat were discussed. These major projects are designed to ensure mutual interest in the history and culture of both countries.

In the international arena, Turkmenistan and Russia maintain close cooperation, primarily in the UN. Minister Lavrov emphasized Russia's active support for the resolution proposed by Turkmenistan, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the policy of permanent neutrality. A large-scale event on this occasion is planned for December 2025, in the preparation and holding of which Russia will actively participate.

Among other formats of cooperation, the CIS (where Turkmenistan is a co-chair this year and will chair next year), Turkmenistan's participation in the events of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRICS (in the "BRICS+" format) were highlighted. Cooperation within the "Caspian Five" was discussed separately, emphasizing the need to complete the ratification process of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea and joint coordinated work.

Overall, Sergey Lavrov described the conversation as very useful, which sets the tone for the rest of his visit to Ashgabat.

Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also held talks with Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov.

During the meeting, key issues of Turkmen-Russian relations were discussed in detail, and the mutual intention to develop a deep strategic partnership based on the principles of mutual respect, trust and consideration of each other's interests was confirmed.

Sergey Lavrov and Rashid Meredov signed the Cooperation Program between the foreign ministries of the two countries for 2025-2026.

The Russian minister also addressed the leadership and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, teachers and students of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, and answered questions from the audience on current international topics.

ORIENT