His Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador in Turkmenistan, Mr. Stephen Conlon and Mrs. Ruta Conlon hosted the King’s Birthday Party on 7 June 2025 in Ashgabat.
The Deputy Prime Minister Khojamyrat Geldimyradov represented the government of Turkmenistan.
Here is the speech of Ambassador Stephen Conlon:
Hormatly Wise-premýer Geldmyradow, Dear Ambassadorial colleagues, Iňlis ilçihanasynyň gadyrly dostlary,
Patyşanyň doglan gününe hoş geldiňiz. Welcome to the King’s Birthday Party.
Thank you to Rasul Klychev and his group for that wonderful rendition of the national anthems.
If you came to our event last year, you are probably thinking that a year surely hasn’t passed since the last one…
And you would be right. In November, we celebrated his Majesty’s real birthday. Today, we are celebrating his official birthday. The benefit of this is we can celebrate outside and enjoy the wonderful Turkmenistan weather. The disadvantage is that we won’t be celebrating again in November.
You may have noticed that we have a slight horse theme today. The reason is because today in the UK is one of the main horse racing events of the year, the Derby, held at Epsom Racecourse. It is an event where everyone dresses smartly and many women wear fascinators. You may see quite a few women wearing them today. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Govher Gouvernet, for combining Turkmen design with this classical British hat.
The love of horses is something that is shared between the UK and Turkmenistan. So it seemed appropriate to have this theme. When British visitors come to Ashgabat, they have been delighted by the beauty and majesty of the Al Teke horses. Similarly, I’ve taken Turkmen visitors to the UK, they have been impressed by the thoroughbred horses who guard His Majesty the King.
At such national day events as this, it is traditional to look back at the bilateral relationship. So what have we achieved in the 8 months of this the 33rd year of bilateral relations.
In March, we held the 8th Turkmenistan -UK Trade and Industry Council meeting in London. I was honoured that the Minister of Finance, Mammetguly Astanagulov, and the Deputy Education Minister, Azat Ataev, took part, meeting several UK companies and educational institutions, keen to have a presence in Turkmenistan. The next TUKTIC will be held in Ashgabat and I look forward to welcoming Lord Alderdice, our new Trade Envoy for Central Asia to Turkmenistan. We are getting increasing numbers of UK companies keen to export to Turkmenistan and I am working with the Government of Turkmenistan to help them secure deals, which in both of our economic interests. There are some British products here including Pimms, a very traditional summer’s drink and some other drink products from Scotland.
I was pleased that we worked together with our partner, UNDP, to organise the “International Forum “The Creative and innovative Economy of Turkmenistan”, bringing together stakeholders, policymakers and industry leaders to explore strategies for fostering a dynamic and sustainable economy in Turkmenistan. The UK Government recognizes the significant contribution the creative industries bring to the UK economy, It generates £125 billion in gross value and employs 2.4 million people. As the UK Minister of Culture has said, ‘From film and fashion to music and advertising, our creative industries are truly world-class and play a critical role in helping us deliver on this Government’s mission to drive economic growth in all parts of the UK.
We have celebrated British culture here this year. We held the first ever Scottish ceadilh on Burn’s Night, celebrating the poetry of Scotland’s national poet, who like Matymguyly and Turkmenistan, helped shape the national identify of Scotland. We also showed, with kind support of the Institute Francais, a UK National Theatre production of King Lear, one of the few Shakespeare plays I did not study in school.
Schools and education are a key part of our bilateral relationship. We have had several UK universities here, partnering with universities here in Turkmenistan in this period. For example, Nottingham Trent University worked with the Azadi Turkmen National Institute for World Languages, as part of the Accelerating English Language Learning in Central Asia project. Similarly, University of Westminster partnered with another University here on the same project. We have had other universities exploring deeper partnerships and I hope in the near future, we will have a UK university represented here in Ashgabat. Together, we’re building bridges through language and education – fostering stronger connections and future opportunities.
Our work on Climate Change and the environment continues. We are looking at how we cooperate more on climate change, a challenge we all face. We have shown a UK film around the country, called “Six inches of Soil”, which shows the power of regenerative agriculture. Currently, we have a BBC Nature Film crew filming the Persian Leopard in Balkan province, highlighting how Turkmenistan is doing an excellent job protecting an endangered species, which is extinct in many other places in Central Asia.
Also in this year, I was truly honoured to be awarded a 300th Anniversary Commemorative Coin for my work on UK-Turkmenistan relations. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank his Excellency the President for giving me this honour.
Now for some other thank yous. First of all to our sponsors, without whose kind generosity, we couldn’t put on this event. First our gold sponsor:
BP – bp is very impressed by the progress Turkmenistan is making in realising the potential of all areas of its energy sector through successful cooperation with international partners and the company hopes to be able to contribute positively to Turkmenistan’s further sustainable development of the economy and energy sector.
JCB – SILVER SPONSOR
Who have had recent productive negotiations during the recent 8th meeting of the Turkmenistan-UK Trade and Industry Council (TUKTIC) where JCB, represented by the Director of the JCB London Office, Mr Charles Stevenson, reaffirmed its commitment to further developing cooperation in Turkmenistan. In return, the Turkmen side confirmed their mutual interest in the implementation of JCB project on supply of earthmoving equipment to the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan. Building upon the Memorandum of Understanding signed on December 8, 2020, between JCB, the State Committee for Water Management of Turkmenistan, and the Ministry of Finance and Economics of Turkmenistan, JCB remains committed and prepared to move forward promptly towards a successful collaboration in implementation of project crucial for the construction and ongoing maintenance of Turkmenistan’s vital irrigation infrastructure.
REGUS – SILVER SPONSOR
Regus in Ashgabat, whose offices I’ve had the pleasure of visiting, is the first and only international office centre in Turkmenistan, offering fully serviced workspaces: private offices, coworking solutions, and meeting rooms. As part of the world’s largest provider of flexible office spaces, the company supports entrepreneurs, freelancers, and companies of all sizes with 24/7 access and a full range of professional services. Looking ahead, Regus aims to contribute to the development of Turkmenistan’s business landscape by offering modern, ready-to-use office solutions for forward-thinking professionals.
INTERTEK – BRONZE SPONSOR ():
Intertek, a global leader in Assurance, Testing, Inspection, and Certification (ATIC) services across diverse sectors, boasts a nearly 30-year operational history in Turkmenistan. The company is currently making significant strides in assisting organisations with their sustainable development goals, particularly in the areas of climate risk management, emissions management, soil and water management.
BDO International
BDO in Turkmenistan is a leading audit and consulting company, a member of the BDO International network, the fifth largest audit and consulting company in the world. Since its establishment in 1995, BDO has been the first international auditing company operating in Turkmenistan. The company provides audit, consulting, and accounting services, offering businesses strategic guidance and reliable solutions to support their growth and success. This year, BDO proudly celebrates 30 years of successful operations in Turkmenistan, marking three decades of commitment to excellence. BDO in Turkmenistan has been a reliable adviser for national and foreign companies.
DE LA RUE – BRONZE SPONSOR
De La Rue is the largest producer of securities and banking equipment in the world. De La Rue is a trusted provider of currency, security and authentication solutions, working with governments and commercial organisations across various sectors to ensure the integrity of their products, processes, and systems. De La Rue designs and manufactures a wide range of high-quality, durable, and stylish banknotes, including polymer substrates and security features. The company also provides digital and physical solutions for product authentication and brand protection.
I’d also like to thank my Deputy, Clare Allbless, who has recently joined us for leading and guiding the team on putting on this superb event. It takes many weeks of organisation and planning. I’d also like to thank my Defence Attache for his regular visits to Turkmenistan and his work here.
I’d also like to thank my wife, Ruta and my family for all the support and help they have given me. Fellow diplomats will know that diplomacy requires a family effort, moving location but also putting up with the irregular hours that our work demands.
In conclusion, it has been a busy eight months, put we don’t plan on resting. We want to make our bilateral relationship even stronger and closer. This is a clear view of my country’s leadership. His Excellency the President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and his Excellency the National Leader have indicated that they also wish to see our bilateral relationship deepen. I would like to take this opportunity to wish them and all our Turkmen interloctors health and success in their endeavours. /// nCa, 8 June 2025
Here are some pictures from the event:
