Elvira Kadyrova
On 3 July 2026, a solemn reception was held in the capital of Turkmenistan to mark the main national holiday of the Republic of Belarus — Independence Day. The event, which gathered diplomats, public figures, business representatives, and journalists, became a vivid testament to the strengthening bonds of friendship and multi-vector cooperation between the two states.
During the official part of the evening, speeches were delivered by the Ambassador of Belarus to Turkmenistan, Stanislav Chepurnoy, and the chief guest from the Government of Turkmenistan — Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Batyr Annaev, who oversees the transport and communications sector.
A Sacred Date in Shared History
For the Belarusian people, the date of 3 July holds deep historical and sacred significance. It was on this day in 1944, during the Great Patriotic War (World War II), that Minsk was completely liberated from Nazi occupiers.
During the three years of the harsh occupation regime, Belarus experienced the most tragic period in its history: every third citizen of the republic perished, and the Nazi forces wiped more than 9,000 towns and villages off the face of the earth. Nearly a thousand of them — including the infamous village of Khatyn — were burned to the ground along with their civilian inhabitants.
In his address, the head of the Belarusian diplomatic mission expressed sincere gratitude to the Turkmen people, who actively participated in the post-war reconstruction of devastated Belarus by sending specialists and providing food and construction materials.
Diplomacy, Partnership, and Integration within the CIS
Addressing the guests, Ambassador Stanislav Chepurnoy spoke in detail about the key aspects of modern bilateral relations. He noted that over the 33 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, cooperation between Minsk and Ashgabat has invariably been built on the principles of sincere friendship, mutual respect, and equal partnership.
“Belarus highly respects the wise, far-sighted, and peaceful foreign policy of Turkmenistan, consistently implemented through the efforts of the esteemed National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and the esteemed President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov,” the diplomat emphasized.
Turkmenistan and Belarus demonstrate effective interaction on the international stage, traditionally providing mutual support. In particular, Belarus consistently co-authors UN General Assembly resolutions that recognize and support the permanent neutral status of Turkmenistan.
A special momentum was given to bilateral contacts this year by Turkmenistan’s chairmanship in the CIS. As the Ambassador recalled, a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government was successfully held in Ashgabat in May, during which the Prime Minister of Belarus met with the President of Turkmenistan.
The political dialogue will continue in autumn 2026: Turkmenistan will host a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State, with the participation of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, already confirmed.
The Belarusian side fully shares the priorities of the Turkmen chairmanship and expresses confidence that Turkmenistan’s leadership will contribute to the overall deepening of integration processes across the Eurasian space.
Other areas of interstate dialogue are also developing dynamically, including inter-parliamentary ties through newly established friendship groups. In May, a round of consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries was held in Ashgabat at the deputy ministerial level, where current cooperation issues were reviewed and the main directions for further interaction were outlined.
“We enjoy stable trade and economic ties; Belarusian and Turkmen producers have much to offer each other. This is practically confirmed during meetings and negotiations during the now-regular visits of Belarusian business delegations to Turkmenistan to participate in international conventions and exhibitions,” Stanislav Chepurnoy stressed.
A meeting of the joint commission on cooperation in science and technology is scheduled for 2026. Meanwhile, the number of Turkmen students choosing Belarusian universities continues to grow.
In the cultural sphere, the respective ministries are currently coordinating a bilateral plan of joint events for the coming years.
Turkmenistan and Belarus Possess the Potential to Align Transport and Transit Systems
Speaking at the reception, Vice-Prime Minister of the Government of Turkmenistan Batyr Annaev focused on the trade and economic vector, calling it a crucial component of the bilateral agenda.
He particularly highlighted the strategic importance of logistics partnership in today’s changing geo-economic realities.
“Turkmenistan, implementing a large-scale transport strategy to form an extensive multimodal infrastructure designed to link continents, views the Republic of Belarus as a key and reliable partner,” Annaev noted.
According to the Vice-Prime Minister, both countries possess “enormous potential for aligning transport and transit systems and qualitatively increasing the volumes of both road and rail cargo transportation.”
Cooperation in digitalization, communications, and high technologies was named as another promising source of growth. The mutual exchange of experience in these high-tech sectors is designed to accelerate the modernization of key sectors of the national economies of both states.
Cultural Program of the Evening: Belarusian Hits Resonate in Ashgabat
The festive evening continued with a vibrant cultural program. Guests of the reception were able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of hospitable Belarus thanks to popular musical hits performed from the repertoire of the legendary ensembles “Pesnyary”, “Syabry”, and “Verasy”. Famous compositions such as “Belovezhskaya Pushcha”, “Olesya”, “Malinovka”, and “Kosil Yas Konyushinu” created a warm and friendly atmosphere.
The musical accompaniment was complemented by visual displays: videos showcasing the rich historical and cultural heritage of Belarus, its unique nature reserves, and the modern economic and industrial achievements of the republic were projected on a panoramic screen. ///nCa, 3 July 2026
Here are some photos from the event:
