Tariq Saeedi in Karachi, Elvira Kadyrova and Raviliya Kadyrova at Awaza
As we stand here at the pristine shores of Awaza, watching the Caspian Sea stretch toward the horizon, it’s impossible not to feel that something significant is unfolding.
The Turkmenistan Investment Forum 2025, taking place on September 18-19, isn’t just another business gathering where suits exchange business cards and make polite conversation about market opportunities. This forum represents something far more profound—it’s a living expression of a philosophy that has guided this nation for three decades: that everything in this world is interconnected, and that genuine prosperity comes through peaceful, collaborative engagement.
To understand TIF-2025, we need to step back and see the bigger picture. When Turkmenistan declared its permanent neutrality in 1995, recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, it wasn’t merely making a geopolitical statement. The country was laying the foundation for a unique approach to development—one that views investment not as a zero-sum game of winners and losers, but as a collaborative endeavor where mutual benefit creates expanding circles of opportunity. This forum is the natural evolution of that vision, a concrete manifestation of how neutrality translates into economic policy.
The timing of this forum couldn’t be more relevant. Look around the world today and you’ll see supply chains disrupted by conflicts, trade routes threatened by tensions, and entire regions struggling with the fallout from geopolitical rivalries. In this environment, Central Asia has emerged as a beacon of stability and opportunity.
Turkmenistan, positioned at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, with the Caspian Sea on one side and ancient Silk Road routes on the other, offers something increasingly rare in today’s world: predictability, stability, and genuine neutrality that creates space for all partners to engage without choosing sides.
The focus areas of TIF-2025 tell a story that any forward-thinking investor should pay attention to. When we talk about Investment Climate & Economic Strategy alongside Energy and Digital & Green Transformation, we’re not seeing scattered priorities—we’re witnessing a holistic vision of the future. The world is rapidly moving toward renewable energy integration, digital connectivity, and sustainable development. Countries that position themselves at the intersection of these trends won’t just participate in the future economy; they’ll help define it.
Consider agriculture and food processing in this context. With global food security becoming an increasingly critical concern, Turkmenistan’s vast agricultural potential, combined with its strategic location for food distribution across Eurasia, positions it as a vital partner in addressing one of humanity’s fundamental challenges.
The forum isn’t just about individual investment opportunities; it’s about building the infrastructure for future food security across continents.
Transport and logistics might sound mundane until you realize that Turkmenistan sits on some of the most critical transit corridors between East and West. As global trade patterns shift and companies seek alternatives to traditional routes, the country’s commitment to developing modern, efficient transport infrastructure makes it an essential node in emerging trade networks. Investment here isn’t just about immediate returns; it’s about positioning oneself in the corridors of future commerce.
Trade and market access, viewed through the lens of Turkmenistan’s neutrality, takes on special significance. When a country maintains equal relationships with all partners, it becomes a natural hub for multilateral trade relationships. Businesses investing here aren’t just accessing Turkmenistan’s domestic market; they’re positioning themselves to serve multiple regions through a stable, neutral intermediary.
Perhaps most importantly, the emphasis on Sustainable Infrastructure & Climate Action reflects a deep understanding that the investments of today must be compatible with the world of tomorrow. Climate change isn’t a distant threat—it’s reshaping economic realities right now. Countries and companies that build climate resilience into their development strategies won’t just survive the transition; they’ll thrive in it.
What makes this particularly compelling is how investments in Turkmenistan create what we might call a “network effect.” — Unlike markets where investments remain isolated within specific sectors or regions, Turkmenistan’s strategic position and neutral status mean that investments here naturally expand both horizontally across sectors and vertically across regional markets. An energy project might connect to transport infrastructure, which links to digital networks, which enable agricultural processing, which supports trade relationships that span continents.
This interconnectedness is rooted in mutual trust and mutual benefit—principles that sound idealistic until you realize they’re actually the most practical approach to long-term business success. In a world where geopolitical tensions can suddenly make yesterday’s profitable venture tomorrow’s stranded asset, partnering with a genuinely neutral country that maintains positive relationships across all major economic blocs isn’t just smart business—it’s risk management for an uncertain world.
The beauty of a forum like TIF-2025 lies in its open-ended nature. Unlike traditional business conferences that focus on immediate deal-making, this gathering is designed to start conversations that will continue long after the last presentation ends. The relationships formed here, the understandings reached, the visions shared—these become the foundation for partnerships that evolve and deepen over time.
The forum isn’t an endpoint; it’s a catalyst for ongoing collaboration.
This approach reflects something deeper about how Turkmenistan views international engagement. The country’s neutral status isn’t about staying on the sidelines; it’s about creating space where all sides can meet, discuss, and find common ground. In business terms, this translates into an environment where investors don’t have to worry about their partnerships being affected by shifting political winds or diplomatic tensions between major powers.
As we witness the proceedings unfold here at Awaza, with its modern Conference-Center, there’s a sense that we’re observing the future taking shape. The combination of ancient wisdom about the importance of trade routes and modern understanding of digital connectivity, sustainable development, and climate resilience creates a unique value proposition that extends far beyond traditional investment metrics.
The forum also embodies Turkmenistan’s understanding that in today’s interconnected world, no country—no matter how resource-rich—can thrive in isolation.
The invitation extended to international partners isn’t just about bringing capital into the country; it’s about bringing knowledge, technology, experience, and global networks that create value for everyone involved.
For investors, TIF-2025 represents more than an opportunity to explore a new market. It offers a chance to be part of building something genuinely different—a development model based on neutrality, sustainability, and mutual benefit that could serve as an example for how nations can prosper in an interconnected world without compromising their sovereignty or values.
As the global economy grapples with supply chain vulnerabilities, climate challenges, and geopolitical uncertainties, the wisdom of Turkmenistan’s approach becomes increasingly apparent.
By maintaining neutrality while actively engaging in international cooperation, by focusing on sustainable development while leveraging natural resources responsibly, and by viewing investment as partnership rather than extraction, the country offers a pathway forward that creates value for all stakeholders.
The conversations beginning here at Awaza will ripple outward, creating new connections, sparking innovations, and building the relationships that will define the next phase of global economic development. In a world that often seems divided, TIF-2025 represents a compelling vision of how nations can come together around shared interests in prosperity, sustainability, and peace.
This is why TIF-2025 matters. Not just as a business forum, but as a demonstration that there’s still space in this world for approaches based on cooperation rather than competition, on building rather than extracting, on creating shared value rather than seeking zero-sum advantages. As we look toward an uncertain future, such examples of principled engagement offer hope that business can indeed be a force for positive change in the world. /// nCa, 18 September 2025