Ashgabat, December 31, 2025 – The Europe Today: A telephone conversation took place today between the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, and Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
At the beginning of the conversation, the Hero-Arkadag and the Speaker of the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament exchanged New Year greetings, wishing happiness, prosperity, and well-being to the peoples of both countries on the occasion of the upcoming 2026 New Year.
Expressing gratitude to the Chairperson of the Federation Council for the call, the Hero-Arkadag emphasized that he regarded the initiative as a sign of strong mutual friendship and an opportunity to convey sincere wishes ahead of the New Year.
The National Leader highlighted the significance of several visits by the President of Turkmenistan to Russia, including participation in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory and high-level meetings of the heads of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states. In this context, he noted Turkmenistan’s support for the “Memory Train” initiative commemorating the victory in the Great Patriotic War, in which a delegation of Turkmen schoolchildren participated, expressing appreciation for the organization of this important event.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also stressed that Turkmenistan highly values Russia’s readiness to strengthen cooperation, support Turkmenistan’s neutral foreign policy, and recognize the country’s efforts to maintain and enhance international stability, promote the philosophy of peace, trust, and respectful dialogue in interstate relations. He cited as a notable example Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Ashgabat to participate in the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, as well as the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality.
Attention was also drawn to the significance of the visit by a Turkmen delegation, led by the Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, to Moscow in October 2025. Furthermore, a milestone in the development of humanitarian cooperation was highlighted—the visit to Saint Petersburg by a Turkmen delegation led by Vice-President of the Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Charitable Foundation for Supporting Children in Need of Care, Oguljakhan Atabaeva, to participate in the IV International Forum “Commonwealth of Fashion.” The Hero-Arkadag took the opportunity to thank the Russian side for the hospitality extended to the Turkmen delegation and for the opportunity to meet with the Chairperson of the Federation Council during the Forum.
The National Leader informed that, according to the decision of the Council of CIS Heads of State, the next CIS Summit is scheduled to take place in Turkmenistan on October 9, 2026. The Turkmen side plans to hold the Summit in the National Tourist Zone “Avaza,” which is fully equipped to host major international forums. The importance of preparing other key events under Turkmenistan’s CIS chairmanship, such as the Women’s Dialogue, the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly session, and the Conference on Demographic Issues, was also emphasized.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that Valentina Matvienko enjoys great respect in Turkmenistan due to her personal contributions and efforts in developing Turkmen-Russian relations. In this regard, he conveyed sincere gratitude to the Chairperson of the Federation Council on his own behalf and on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan. He also expressed confidence that future talks with the Chairperson of the Federation Council in the coming year would elevate Turkmen-Russian relations to a new level.
In response, the Chairperson of the Russian Federation Council thanked the Hero-Arkadag for his kind words and for recognizing her contributions to the development of productive bilateral relations.
In conclusion, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Valentina Matvienko once again exchanged New Year greetings, extending their best wishes to each other on the occasion of the upcoming 2026 New Year.
