In an article published in the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, the Ambassador of the Russia to Turkmenistan, Ivan Volynkin, discussed the current state and future prospects of bilateral relations.
This year, Russia and Turkmenistan mark the 34th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Cooperation between the two nations holds the status of an enlarged strategic partnership, built on principles of respect, trust, and constructive dialogue. Russia consistently supports Turkmenistan’s permanent neutral status, including through relevant UN General Assembly resolutions.
” Moscow and Ashgabat invariably demonstrate a closeness of approaches on many key issues of the global and regional agendas, consistently expanding cooperation both at the bilateral level and within international organizations,” Volynkin emphasized.
Russia participates in the Group of Friends of Neutrality and Sustainable Transport and supports Turkmenistan’s initiatives at the UN. In turn, Turkmenistan co-sponsors Russian draft resolutions concerning the fight against the glorification of Nazism, international information security, and the peaceful exploration of outer space.
The Ambassador paid special attention to upcoming high-level contacts.
“We look forward with great enthusiasm to the visits to Turkmenistan by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, on 22 May, and by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, on 9 October, to participate in meetings held under the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),” the Ambassador announced.
As Volynkin noted, parliamentary elections will take place in Russia in September. Traditionally, the Embassy will open several polling stations in cities across Turkmenistan for the voting process.
Regarding humanitarian cooperation, the head of the Russian diplomatic mission highlighted the expansion of ties in education, culture, and science.
The Joint Turkmen-Russian Secondary School named after A.S. Pushkin continues to operate successfully in Turkmenistan, with over 1,800 children enrolled. Plans are underway for the construction of an additional building.
More than 54,000 students from Turkmenistan are currently receiving an education at Russian universities. For 2026, the quota for government-funded spots for Turkmen applicants has been maintained at 500.
The Russian House in Ashgabat remains popular among the capital’s residents. In 2025, it hosted over 190 various events—including concerts, exhibitions, seminars, and themed activities dedicated to holidays and commemorative dates—attended by approximately 16,000 people.
Digital cooperation is also actively developing. In March 2026, an online Russian language course specifically adapted for Turkmenistan was launched. The course was developed by specialists from the Naberezhnye Chelny State Pedagogical University in close cooperation with the Ministry of Enlightenment of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan. Currently, 70 video lessons are available for first-grade students in Turkmen schools. There are plans to expand the program to cover other age groups in the future. ///nCa, 8 April 2026