On 16 January 2026, a briefing was held in Ashgabat by Ambassador of Russia to Turkmenistan Ivan Volynkin. The event was attended by representatives of Turkmen media outlets and Russian news agencies accredited in the country. The main focus was a review of current Russia-Turkmenistan cooperation.
Ambassador Volynkin emphasized that 2025 was a landmark year for bilateral relations, marked by an unprecedentedly dynamic exchange of delegations and a substantial number of signed agreements — levels not seen in a long time.
Political and Diplomatic Relations and Visits
The strategic nature of Russia-Turkmenistan ties in 2025 was confirmed by intensive high-level dialogue, frequent exchanges of delegations through government and parliamentary channels, as well as contacts at international forums and on the sidelines of major organizations.
A key factor driving the steady advancement of this strategic partnership is the trusting dialogue at the highest level. Decisive contributions came from President of Turkmenistan’s visits to Russia in May and December 2025, and the visit of President Vladimir Putin to Turkmenistan in December.
The Ambassador particularly highlighted the role of the National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in strengthening bilateral friendship. He noted that the course toward strategic partnership with Russia, set by the National Leader, is being successfully implemented with his active involvement. In 2025, the National Leader met with Russia’s President in Ashgabat, spoke at the plenary session of the Kazan Economic Forum, and received heads of Russian delegations in the Turkmen capital and the Avaza National Tourist Zone.
In international and regional affairs, Turkmenistan and Russia continued to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.
Russia and Turkmenistan hold similar or identical positions on most key international issues, Ambassador Volynkin stated. He noted close coordination between the two countries during the 79th and 80th sessions of the UN General Assembly, with mutual support for each other’s initiatives.
Russia actively participated in the Groups of friend of neutrality and sustainable transport, initiatives launched by Turkmenistan, and backed Ashgabat-proposed UN General Assembly resolutions declaring 2025 the International Year of Peace and Trust and reaffirming Turkmenistan’s neutrality.
Highlighting intense inter-parliamentary contacts, the Ambassador mentioned visits to Turkmenistan by representatives of Russia’s Federation Council, as well as the official visit to Moscow by Chairperson of the Mejlis D. Gulmanova. She held meetings with Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. The talks resulted in the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the Mejlis of Turkmenistan.
During the briefing, Volynkin announced that Putin will participate in the CIS Heads of State Summit, scheduled for 9 October 2026, in Turkmenistan’s Avaza National Tourist Zone.
According to the diplomat, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit Turkmenistan in October.
In the near term, a delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Mikhail Galuzin will visit Ashgabat on 28–29 January 2026, for high-level bilateral consultations on regional security issues.
Additionally, in the first half of 2026, a visit by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is anticipated as part of a CIS Heads of Government meeting.
Economic Relations
Discussing trade and economic ties, Volynkin recalled a key event in 2025: the 13th meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, held in Ashgabat.
The Russian side was represented by over 50 officials from relevant ministries and companies.
In January-October 2025, bilateral trade turnover grew by 35% — significantly exceeding the full-year result for 2024.
There are currently 38 companies with Russian capital registered in Turkmenistan, including branches and representative offices of major firms such as Gazprom, Kamaz, Tatneft, and others.
Humanitarian Relations
A notable milestone in humanitarian cooperation was the meeting between Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Oguljahan Atabaeva, Vice President for Medical Activities at the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Assistance to Children in Need of Care. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 4th International Forum “Commonwealth of Fashion” in St. Petersburg.
Cultural interaction in 2025 was particularly intensive: over 190 events — concerts, exhibitions, seminars, and various activities — were organized, attracting around 16,000 participants.
The draft agreement on establishing and operating a Russian-Turkmen University in Ashgabat is in the final stages of coordination, Volynkin told.
Currently, more than 54,000 Turkmen students are enrolled in Russian higher education institutions. In 2025, Russia’s government quota for Turkmen applicants on federal budget-funded places stood at 500.
Plans also include constructing a new building for primary grades at the Joint Russian-Turkmen Secondary School, which has been operating in Ashgabat since 2002.
The implementation of the unified electronic visa system has shown significant results since Turkmenistan’s inclusion in December 2024. To date, over 10,000 Turkmen citizens have successfully obtained e-visas, with more than 8,500 already utilizing them to enter the Russian Federation.
The Ambassador highlighted a general increase in visa activity: in 2025, the Russian Embassy issued over 120,000 visas — a noticeable rise compared to the previous year.
In conclusion, Ambassador Volynkin expressed confidence that 2026 will bring new significant achievements for the continued dynamic and mutually beneficial development of bilateral relations. “We look to the future with optimism,” he said. ///Based on materials from the newspaper Neutral Turkmenistan and TASS, 18 January 2026