On 14 July 2026, the Ambassador of France to Turkmenistan, Philippe Merlin, hosted a festive reception in Ashgabat to mark the National Day of the French Republic (Bastille Day). The event brought together diplomats, representatives of government structures, businesses, cultural figures, representatives of public organizations, and the media.
The Government of Turkmenistan was represented by Nazar Agahanov, Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations.
Welcoming the guests, Ambassador Philippe Merlin announced that this year’s celebration is held “under the banner of France’s feminist diplomacy, honoring the seven women who have been enshrined in the French Panthéon to date.”
Special attention in the speech was dedicated to the economic partnership between Turkmenistan and France, which received a powerful momentum during the official visit of the National Leader Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to France on 5 May 2025, and his meeting with President Emmanuel Macron.
The Ambassador expressed his sincere gratitude to the French and Turkmen companies that actively cooperate with the government agencies under the leadership of His Excellency Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan. Key partners highlighted in the speech included:
- THALES (telecommunications and security);
- Bouygues Türkmen (sustainable construction);
- TotalEnergies (energy);
- Carpi (water resource conservation);
- IGN-FI (the use of spatial data for land use and crop monitoring);
- MBDA (national security);
- CLAAS Tractor (agriculture).
The Ambassador also announced the upcoming opening of a stopover at Ashgabat Airport for Air Belgium (a subsidiary of the logistics giant CMA-CGM). Special words of gratitude were addressed to the Turkmen sponsors — Tylla Nal and Ms. Victoria Kuliyeva’s company, which represents Dessange International in Turkmenistan.
The humanitarian sphere remains a cornerstone of Franco-Turkmen relations. The Ambassador noted that today, educational projects are dynamically developing in France and Turkmenistan:
Nearly 20,000 students are currently learning French in Turkmenistan in close cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and the French Institute of Turkmenistan.
As announced by Philippe Merlin, academic cooperation is set to reach new heights in the near future with the upcoming signing of cooperation agreements between the University of Le Havre-Normandy and several Turkmen higher education institutions.
Furthermore, research continues actively under the Franco-Turkmen Archaeological Mission (MAFTur) at the exceptional Ulug-Depe site, alongside voluntary exploration in the Koytendag Mountains by French speleological expeditions of the KRAC association. Additionally, the French Institute of Turkmenistan will continue its cultural programming through original projects, such as the exhibition of photographs by Paul Nadar.
In the unofficial part of the evening, Ambassador Philippe Merlin shared a poignant announcement: in the coming weeks, three key expatriate members in the Embassy team will be concluding their diplomatic missions in Turkmenistan.
The head of the diplomatic mission invited his colleagues — Magali Catajar, Deputy Head of Mission, and Christopher Hanin, IT and Telecommunications Officer — to join him on stage. The Ambassador expressed his deep appreciation to them for their professionalism and dedication, noting that he, too, is preparing to depart the country.
The Ambassador warmly thanked the diplomatic community and colleagues from the EU Delegation, the embassies of Germany, Romania, Italy, Ukraine, and Armenia; Turkmen partners, including the State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rasoul Klitchev, local French language teachers, and medical specialists; the corporate school of Bouygues Türkmen operated by the “Mission laïque française” and its team led by Mr. Chouika; the staff of the French Institute in Turkmenistan led by Vincent Lorenzini; and the entire close-knit French community, including the management and team of Bouygues Türkmen.
Concluding the official part of the event on an optimistic note, Ambassador Philippe Merlin cited the founder and first President of the Fifth Republic, Charles de Gaulle: “to be inert is to be defeated,” and called on everyone to remain dynamic and innovative in bringing France and Turkmenistan closer together. /// nCa, 15 July 2026
Here are some photos from the event:
