Ashgabat, May 23, 2026 – The Europe Today: The meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was held in Ashgabat on May 22, 2026, under Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the CIS for 2026, bringing together senior representatives and delegations from member states to discuss key areas of regional cooperation and integration.
Hosted at the Garagum Hotel in the Turkmen capital, the meeting was attended by representative delegations from CIS member countries. The delegation of Turkmenistan was led by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers H. Geldimyradov on behalf of President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.
Opening the meeting in a narrow format, the head of the Turkmen delegation conveyed greetings and best wishes from President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the participants, while reaffirming Turkmenistan’s commitment to strengthening interstate cooperation and expanding partnerships aimed at ensuring shared prosperity across the Commonwealth.
Secretary General of the CIS Sergey Lebedev then briefed participants on the agenda and procedural matters. Following the approval of the agenda, delegates engaged in extensive discussions on current priorities within the CIS, with particular focus on enhancing trade and economic cooperation among member states.
The meeting later continued in an expanded format, preceded by a traditional joint photo session of delegation heads against the backdrop of the CIS flags and official symbols.
During the discussions, the Turkmen side emphasized the importance of deepening mutually beneficial economic ties, expanding regional transport connectivity, advancing digital technologies, and developing modern mechanisms for industrial cooperation. Delegates also exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in congress and exhibition activities, as well as promoting the digital transformation of industrial sectors.
A number of organizational and partnership-related issues across various sectors were also reviewed as part of the official agenda.
Following the meeting, participants signed several final documents, including decisions declaring Minsk as the CIS Youth Capital for 2027 and Karaganda as the CIS Youth Capital for 2028.
Addressing a concluding press conference, officials highlighted the productive and constructive nature of the discussions, noting that relevant decisions had been adopted on all agenda items and multiple agreements had been signed. Participants expressed confidence that the outcomes of the meeting would contribute to further strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation and advancing integration processes within the CIS framework.
The participants also expressed sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, for the high-level organization of the event and for creating favorable conditions for productive dialogue and joint work in an atmosphere of openness and constructive engagement.
