On August 10, 2026, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, made a working visit to the Mary velayat. As part of this visit, he traveled to the Islim-Cheshme border zone in the Serhetabat Etrap, from where he embarked on a working trip to Afghanistan.

Here, at the request of representatives of the neighboring state’s younger generation, the Hero-Arkadag took a commemorative group photo with them and presented them with gifts.

Following this, the Hero-Arkadag and the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan welcomed the members of the delegations from both countries.

Bilateral talks then took place between the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Hero-Arkadag, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs, Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Warmly welcoming the distinguished Turkmen guest, Abdul Ghani Baradar noted that neighborly relations between the two countries are based on the close historical roots of the Afghan and Turkmen peoples, as well as their shared cultural and spiritual values.

At the same time, emphasizing that Turkmenistan’s peaceful foreign policy contributes to ensuring sustainable development in the region, Abdul Ghani Baradar expressed sincere gratitude for the regular humanitarian aid provided by the Turkmen side to the Afghan people. Taking this opportunity, the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs extended warm greetings and best wishes to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

Thanking him for the kind words, the Hero-Arkadag also conveyed greetings and best wishes from the Head of Turkmenistan, emphasizing that the Turkmen and Afghan peoples are brothers, and the border between the two countries is a border of friendship.

As noted during the meeting, the TAPI pipeline and its key link, Serhetabat–Herat, named "Arkadagyň ak ýoly", are written in golden letters in historical annals as a symbol of Turkmen-Afghan good-neighborliness.

The talks then continued in an expanded format with the participation of official delegations from both states.

It was noted that trade and economic relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are developing systematically based on the principles of good-neighborliness. Joint projects occupy a central place in this process, with the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India pipeline serving as clear proof.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs stressed the need to establish a joint mechanism for regular cooperation between the relevant agencies of both countries to further advance work on the TAPI project. Furthermore, Abdul Ghani Baradar declared the Afghan side's great interest in studying Turkmenistan's advanced experience in training specialists for the gas sector.

Transport and logistics cooperation was also addressed during the continuation of the talks.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people noted that the bilateral meeting covered cooperation in various areas. These included the fuel and energy sector, specifically the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India pipeline project, as well as transport and power infrastructure, where key tasks were identified.

The transport and logistics system serves as an important link connecting Central and South Asia. In this context, the parties emphasized the significance of the "Lapis Lazuli" international transport corridor.

In 2017, a five-party Agreement was signed in Ashgabat to establish the Afghanistan–Turkmenistan–Azerbaijan–Georgia–Turkey corridor.

As is well known, the Hero-Arkadag has put forward a number of proposals to activate this transport corridor and increase its efficiency.

Cultural and humanitarian prospects, along with developments in science and education, were also noted as highly promising. In this regard, the parties reviewed issues concerning an increase in the number of Afghan students studying in Turkmenistan, as well as the training of qualified specialists in various fields, particularly for the gas sector jobs created by the TAPI project.

Speaking about joint projects and noting the importance of strengthening the legal framework to advance them, the National Leader of the Turkmen people proposed the creation of a Turkmen-Afghan commission on economic cooperation.

Upon completion of the negotiations, verses from the Holy Quran were recited.

Following this, videos were shown demonstrating the work accomplished on the Serhetabat–Herat pipeline, named "Arkadagyň ak ýoly".

Subsequently, a ceremony was held for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern "Türkmengaz" and the State Corporation "Afghan Gas" of Afghanistan.

Following the ceremony, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Hero-Arkadag, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs attended a festive sadaka held in honor of today's event.

Afterward, the National Leader of the Turkmen people said goodbye to the ceremony participants and departed for the administrative center of the Mary Velayat. Official representatives saw the Hero-Arkadag off at the Mary International Airport.

Following his flight back to Ashgabat, the airliner of the National Leader of the Turkmen people landed at the capital's International Airport, where the Hero-Arkadag was warmly welcomed by official dignitaries.