On 13 June 2024, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met with Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament (Federation Council). The meeting focused on strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
The sides praised the excellent state of bilateral relations, fostered by frequent high-level interactions. They highlighted the significance of the National Leader of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s participation in the “Russia – the Islamic World: KazanForum 2024” and his valuable proposals for advancing Turkmen-Russian cooperation.
The importance of inter-parliamentary exchanges in fostering friendly relations was emphasized. Discussions included organizing the second Interparliamentary Forum of Central Asian countries and Russia.
Additionally, the upcoming meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Turkmen Commission on Economic Cooperation was mentioned.
The parties expressed particular interest in collaborating in education, science, and culture. Establishing a Russian-Turkmen University in Ashgabat, constructing a new building for the State Russian Drama Theater, and expanding the A.S. Pushkin Russian-Turkmen Secondary School were discussed.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to developing effective and enduring forms of bilateral cooperation.
Meeting with the Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan
Kosachev also held meetings with Dunyagozel Gulmanova, Chairman of the Mejlis (Turkmenistan’s parliament), and Batyr Baylyev, Chairman of the Mejlis Committee on Legislation and Head of the Turkmenistan-Federation Council Friendship Group. Discussions touched upon inter-parliamentary cooperation.
Specific topics included:
• Hosting the Interparliamentary Forum of Central Asian countries and Russia in Ashgabat (“Ashgabat format”)
• Potential participation of Turkmen students in the “Memory Train” cultural and educational project in 2025
• The Russian proposal to establish a bilateral parliamentary cooperation commission