Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is holding talks in Ashgabat with the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. Lavrov has arrived in Turkmenistan on an official visit, the first since his previous visit in 2022.
According to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, the parties will discuss upcoming high-level political contacts, the development of bilateral relations, including cooperation in trade, the economy, and humanitarian and cultural areas.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has emphasized that Moscow and Ashgabat maintain strong friendly ties based on equal cooperation, mutual respect, and good-neighborliness. The special nature of their cooperation was established in a 2017 treaty and reaffirmed by a 2022 declaration on deepening strategic partnership, signed by the presidents of both countries.
Moscow highly values its friendly relationship with Ashgabat and is ready to continue developing a mutually beneficial strategic partnership that contributes to stability and security in Central Asia, the Caspian region, and globally.
During the talks, the two sides are expected to exchange views on regional and global issues, as well as on cooperation in multilateral formats. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia and Turkmenistan have developed constructive interaction on key international and regional platforms, including the UN, BRICS, OSCE, CIS, the Caspian Five, and the “CA5 + Russia” dialogue mechanism.
Middle East Issues
The talks will also address the conflict between Israel and Iran. On the night of June 13, Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Less than 24 hours later, Iran launched a retaliatory strike. In the following days, both countries exchanged further strikes.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Israeli attacks on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities are illegal under international law and pose unacceptable threats to global security, pushing the world toward a nuclear catastrophe that would be felt even in Israel itself.
On the night of June 22, US President Donald Trump announced that the US had successfully struck three nuclear facilities in Iran — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. He urged Tehran to agree to a ceasefire.
On June 22, Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry stated that Ashgabat is ready to participate in resolving the current Middle East situation using the broadest possible range of diplomatic tools. Turkmenistan shares a 1,100 km land border with Iran and also borders it across the Caspian Sea.
On June 23, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Moscow and met with President Vladimir Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the meeting had been planned before the US strikes, but gained particular relevance afterward.
President Putin described the US and Israeli attacks on Iran as unprovoked aggression, unjustified by any means. Araghchi called the meeting with Putin productive and noted that they had discussed Middle East developments in detail.
Ashgabat’s Swift Response
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova highlighted that the escalation in the Middle East, which led many countries in the region to close their airspace, put several Russian passenger aircraft in a difficult situation. One such plane from S7 Airlines, en route from Novosibirsk to Dubai, was forced to divert and request an emergency landing at Ashgabat International Airport on June 13. Zakharova noted that Russia is grateful to the Turkmen side for its prompt response to the difficult situation and for the assistance provided to the passengers and crew of the Russian airliner.
Respectful Attitude Toward History
Turkmenistan honors the memory of the Great Patriotic War. As noted by the Russian Ambassador to Ashgabat, Ivan Volynkin, Turkmenistan is an example of a state that treats history with great care, diligently maintains war memorials, and preserves the memory of its people’s heroism during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.
The President of Turkmenistan has visited Moscow to participate in ceremonial events marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet people's victory in the Great Patriotic War.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on TASS materials