On May 22, 2026, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov received the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev, who arrived in Ashgabat to participate in the succesive meeting of the CIS Heads of Government Council.

Expressing gratitude for the hospitality, Sergey Lebedev emphasized that the Commonwealth highly values the support of Turkmenistan for the development of cooperation and dialogue within the CIS.

After warmly welcoming his guest, the President of Turkmenistan wished a successful and fruitful outcome of the meeting of the CIS Heads of Government Council, expressing confidence that the discussion of current vectors of cooperation will provide conditions for the adoption of important agreements for the benefit of CIS member states.

At the meeting, it was noted that cooperation within the CIS remains among key priorities of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy. As an associate member of the CIS, Turkmenistan continues to serve as an important link in strengthening partnerships within the Commonwealth, initiating significant projects in logistics and humanitarian exchange.

The head of state emphasized that Turkmenistan is responsibly fulfilling its mission as the Chair of the CIS. This is clearly demonstrated by the successful implementation of the Concept of Turkmenistan’s Chairmanship in the CIS in 2026.

The President paid special attention to the upcoming meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council, scheduled for October 9 this year on the Caspian coast, noting that this summit will be a key event of the year. The high-level forum will focus on the proposals aimed at giving new impetus to cooperation and strengthening the foundation of a trusting partnership within the Commonwealth.

During the meeting, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov expressed his sincere gratitude to all members of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States and personally to Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev for their professional approach to cooperation.

At the end of the meeting, the President of Turkmenistan and the CIS Secretary-General exchanged best wishes, expressing confidence that multilateral cooperation within the Commonwealth will continue to develop successfully and will be enriched with new content.