Ashgabat will host the next meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) on May 22, 2026. The date was confirmed by CIS First Deputy Secretary General Igor Petrishenko at a session of the CIS Council of Permanent Representatives held in Minsk on February 24.
Petrishenko told the media that eleven items are currently proposed for inclusion on the agenda, covering economic cooperation, congress and exhibition activities, transport corridors, and digitalization. [BELTA]
The meeting is also expected to consider granting CIS Cultural Capital status to Minsk for 2027 and to Karaganda for 2028. [Report.az]
On the Turkmen side, preparations are actively underway. Turkmenistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Serdar Muhammetdurdyev has met with a delegation from the CIS Executive Committee on 26 March 2026 to discuss the agenda and organizational and protocol arrangements under a draft protocol for coordinating the meeting’s preparation. Ashgabat has described the upcoming gathering as a high priority and an important platform for strengthening multilateral partnerships within the Commonwealth.
The meeting takes place in the context of Turkmenistan’s CIS presidency for 2026. Chairmanship of the CIS passed from Tajikistan to Turkmenistan on January 1, 2026, and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has stated that Ashgabat intends to help maximize the full potential of the CIS, viewing the presidency as a mark of respect and trust from fellow member states. [Eccis]
Turkmenistan’s presidency concept sets out five priority directions: peace, neutrality and trust; economic cooperation and transport connectivity; humanitarian and cultural cooperation; ecology and sustainable development; and digital transformation and innovation. [Rapsi]
Among the significant initiatives, Turkmenistan has proposed declaring 2027 the “Year of CIS Transport Connectivity.” [nCa]
The full calendar of major CIS events under the Turkmen presidency includes the Heads of Government Council meeting in May in Ashgabat, a Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in October at the Avaza national tourist zone, and the CIS Heads of State Summit also scheduled for October 9 at Avaza. [nCa]
The official CIS Executive Committee website lists the May 22 meeting as an announced event [E-cis], confirming Ashgabat’s role as host under its rotating presidency. The decision to hold the meeting in Turkmenistan was initially taken at the previous Heads of Government Council session in Minsk on September 29, 2025. [Casp-geo] /// nCa, 27 March 2026