Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Met with Valentina Matviyenko in Avaza
On October 6, a meeting took place in the "Avaza" National Tourist Zone between National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matviyenko. The head of the Russian parliamentary delegation arrived in Turkmenistan to participate in the International Women's Dialogue titled "The Role of Women in Maintaining Peace and Achieving Sustainable Development," organized as part of the country's chairmanship of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Valentina Matviyenko conveyed warm greetings and best wishes from Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov. The Speaker of the Upper House of the Russian Parliament expressed deep appreciation for the organization of forums on the Caspian coast and highlighted the significant contribution made by Oguljahan Atabayeva—Vice President of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assisting Children in Need of Guardianship—to the development of international women's initiatives and humanitarian platforms.
During the negotiations, the parties highlighted the steady development of bilateral relations. Inter-parliamentary cooperation serves as a key pillar of this partnership; an off-site session of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly is scheduled to take place in Ashgabat this November. As part of this process, the Turkmen side has been invited to obtain observer status with the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, a move that would expand the scope for joint legislative cooperation.
Particular emphasis was placed on trade, economic, and investment ties, as well as on the coordination of major logistics projects. The Russian-Turkmen Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation is fully operational and is currently preparing for its next meeting. The two countries also demonstrate similar or aligned positions within international organizations, including the UN, where Ashgabat and Moscow have put forward joint initiatives.
Developing the humanitarian and educational sphere remains a top priority. Currently, 54,000 Turkmen students are studying at Russian universities, and the annual quota for state-funded scholarships has been raised to 500 places. Three major infrastructure projects are currently in the advanced stages of coordination: the construction of a new building for the joint A.S. Pushkin School, the establishment of a Turkmen-Russian University, and the construction of a new building for the A.S. Pushkin State Russian Drama Theatre in Ashgabat.
