National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov visited the Ashgabat Equestrian Center, where he inspected the preparations for the celebration of the 34th anniversary of the country's independence and the modernization process of the facility, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports. During his visit, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the special significance of Ahal-Teke horses in the lives of the Turkmen people. He stated that, thanks to the country's ongoing policies, the development of domestic equestrian sports and increasing the number of thoroughbreds are a constant focus of the state's attention. As a result of the modernization, the equestrian complex acquired a unique appearance and fully complies with international standards. The entire facility's infrastructure has been upgraded to meet modern requirements and high environmental standards. The Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty emphasized the need to create all the necessary conditions for both the horses and riders, as well as the numerous guests who will participate in the festive events. He emphasized the importance of ensuring a high level of organization for the equestrian competitions. During his visit, the National Leader of the Turkmen people personally saddled a horse named Khanbeg and circled a special area, inspecting the condition of the racing tracks and their sand surface. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also visited the Ahal-Teke Equestrian Complex of the President of Turkmenistan, located in the foothills of the Kopetdag Mountains, where modernization work is currently underway. He provided recommendations on creating modern conditions for effective horse training and breeding. Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, noted that Ahal-Teke horses are a national treasure and the main attraction of holidays and celebrations in the country.

Turkmenistan has proposed declaring 2028 the Year of International Law. This was announced by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, speaking at the UN General Assembly. "Turkmenistan will continue to consistently advocate for strengthening the UN's central role in international affairs. We believe strengthening the rule of international law is a key factor in this," the Turkmen leader said. According to Serdar Berdimuhamedov, declaring 2028 the Year of International Law will be an important step in strengthening the international legal foundations for peace and cooperation.

Turkmenistan has proposed holding the Caspian Environmental Forum in 2026. This was announced by Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, speaking at the UN General Assembly. The head of state noted that the country will promote the Caspian Environmental Initiative, which aims to become an international platform for preserving the Caspian Sea ecosystem.

On the occasion of the 34th anniversary of Turkmenistan's Independence and the International Day of Student Sports, the Turkmen State Institute of Physical Culture and Sports, a member of the International Association of Physical Culture and Sports Universities, is holding mass sports competitions entitled "Sports and Youth - the Foundation of a Healthy Society" from September 15 to 25. This was reported on the official website of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan. As the report notes, the competitions are a stage of preparation for international games for athletes. The competitions are held in volleyball, basketball and futsal. During the sports competitions, a national forum entitled "Sport is a guarantee of peace and trust" was held on the occasion of the International Day of Student Sports, with the participation of a representative of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Culture and Sport (CIGEPS) via a digital system.

Turkmenistan increased its imports from Uzbekistan in January-August 2025 by $17.9 million compared to the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan . During the reporting period, Turkmen-Uzbek trade turnover amounted to 677.8 million US dollars. At the same time, Turkmenistan's exports to Uzbekistan in the first 8 months of this year amounted to 581.6 million US dollars. The total value of goods and services imported from Uzbekistan to the Turkmen market during the corresponding period reached 96.2 million US dollars. For comparison, this figure was 78.3 million US dollars in the same period last year. It is worth noting that in the first 8 months of this year, Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover amounted to 51.4 billion US dollars. Of this, 28 billion 453 million were imports, and 22 billion 981 million were exports.

Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov celebrates his 44th birthday on September 22. The head of state is spending his birthday on a working trip to New York, where he arrived the day before to attend the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. This morning, world leaders congratulated Serdar Berdimuhamedov on his birthday: telegrams were sent by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the heads of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, and many others. Congratulations to the head of state were also extended by the National Leader of the Turkmen People, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Council), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, members of the government, the Speaker of the Mejlis, deputy chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, vice presidents of the Charitable Foundation, heads of law enforcement agencies, hakims of the velayats, the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag, and representatives of public organizations and political parties.

On September 18, the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan held an official meeting with a delegation from the British organization AQA Global Assessment Services. The delegation included Sean Crowley, Director of International Business Development; Anna Green, Director of Assessment Systems; and Vali Huseyn, Regional Advisor. This was reported on the ministry's website. During the meeting, Deputy Minister of Education Azat Atayev noted his strong interest in developing cooperation with AQA and the importance of implementing advanced learning assessment methods to improve the quality of education. One of the priority areas of cooperation is improving the system of final student assessment and bringing educational results into line with labor market requirements. AQA Global has successfully implemented dozens of projects in various countries around the world, including in Central Asian states. The organization's support includes the following areas:

Construction of an 8 thousand ton oil tanker, which will be donated to Turkmenistan, has begun at the Baku Shipyard. This was announced by Azerbaijan's Deputy Minister of Economy, Sahib Nureddin Alekperov, speaking at the TIF 2025 Investment Forum in the “Avaza” National Tourism Zone. The Deputy Minister noted the promising prospects for cooperation in shipbuilding between the two countries. "Azerbaijan has the largest merchant fleet in the Caspian Sea. The Baku Shipyard is capable of producing all types of vessels," Alekperov emphasized. According to him, the tanker's construction is part of the shipbuilding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan. The TIF 2025 Investment Forum is being held in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone on the Caspian Sea.

The Turkmenistan Investment Forum (TIF2025), aimed at attracting investment to the country's economy, has opened in the “Avaza” National Tourist Zone. The event is taking place September 18–19. At the beginning of the forum, Turkmenistan's Minister of Finance and Economy, Mammetguly Astanagulov, read an address from Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov to the participants. According to the organizers, TIF2025 brings together over 800 delegates from over 45 countries. Among them are high-ranking government officials, global business leaders, and representatives of leading international organizations. For three days, “Avaza” will become a hub for international cooperation. Participants will be presented with investment-ready projects in Turkmenistan in the fields of energy, infrastructure, logistics, finance, and innovation.

The volumes of agricultural and livestock products produced in Balkan province, their industrial processing, and their transformation into high-quality commodity products are increasing every year. This was reported in the Turkmenistan newspaper. During the past year, the province produced more than 14 billion 12 million manats of goods. As noted in the report, the growth in this area amounted to 104.2 percent. A significant part of this belongs to the agricultural sector. The residents of the region are provided with meat, milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits and berries without interruption. Abundant crops of apples, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and melons are harvested and delivered to the people. These days, winter wheat sowing for next year's bountiful harvest has begun in the fields along the Karakum River, as well as the successful harvesting of this year's cotton crop.

A new kindergarten No. 17 was opened and put into operation in the Akyap gengeshlik of the Sakarchage district of Mary province. This was reported in the Turkmenistan newspaper. As noted in the report, the opening ceremony of this two-story building was attended by residents of the district, educational workers, deputies of the Mejlis, representatives of the older generation, and happy children. The kindergarten was built by the Bally Economic Society, a member of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan, on the order of the Main Construction Department of the Mary Velayat Khyakimlik. The guests got acquainted with the conditions created for modern education, upbringing and comfortable rest of the children in the kindergarten rooms. The kindergarten's study and sleeping rooms are perfectly equipped for the children to learn their first writing and study skills and to relax comfortably. Lingaphone, computer, foreign language and other rooms are equipped with digital devices. The kindergarten's fitness room and indoor pool will help keep children healthy. 16 playgrounds have been built adjacent to the building for kindergarten and preschool groups, equipped with various toys according to the age characteristics of the children.

Today, a ceremony was held to hand over the keys to a modern 9-story, 54-apartment residential building with all amenities, located along Magtymguly Pyragy Street in Arkadag city. This was reported by the "Watan" news program.
As noted, on the occasion of the ceremony, artists of the Aman Gulmammedov State Drama Theater of Arkadag city and students of the Sakhy Jepbarov Arkadag city special art school performed musical and dance performances. The traditions of the Turkmen wedding were also celebrated. Today, a ceremony was held to hand over the keys to modern cottages with all amenities located along Gurbannazar Ezizov Street in Arkadag city. In honor of the 34th anniversary of the country's Independence, a creative exhibition of female ceramists entitled "When Women Praised the Beauties of the World" was also held in the new city. The exhibition was held at the Museum of History and Local Lore of Arkadag, and the creative works of female ceramists demonstrated the rich national values ​​and classical cultural heritage of the Turkmen people. In connection with today's events and in honor of the 34th anniversary of the country's independence, a wedding gift was also given in the new city.

The eleventh meeting of the High-Level Working Group on the Caspian Sea (HLWG) is taking place in the capital of Turkmenistan, with the participation of diplomats from the five Caspian littoral states – Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. According to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, the meeting participants reviewed multilateral cooperation in the Caspian Sea and discussed preparations for the next meeting of foreign ministers of the Caspian littoral countries. The meeting focused on establishing direct baselines in the Caspian Sea. Diplomats also discussed the possibility of creating a special working group of Caspian states to address issues related to the shallowing of the Caspian Sea.

A working meeting was recently held between the Deputy Head of the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan and a delegation led by Vakhtang Zarandiya, Senior Advisor for TIR and Transit Transport of the International Road Transport Union (IRU). According to the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan , during the meeting, the parties discussed issues of cooperation in the field of international cargo transportation under TIR guarantee. In particular, they discussed the issue of signing a Roadmap for cooperation between the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan and the International Road Transport Union, aimed at further developing and simplifying transport and customs procedures, as well as improving the mechanism for providing TIR guarantees. The meeting also included an exchange of experiences and discussions on practical solutions, such as modernizing TIR operations and introducing modern information systems to reduce risk. The source notes that the meeting was also attended by representatives of the Turkmen Association of International Road Carriers as part of the IRU delegation.

The amount of high-quality cement produced at the Balkan Cement Plant in the first eight months of 2025 reached 595 thousand tons. This represents a growth of 112.42 percent compared to the same period last year. This was reported in the Turkmenistan newspaper. The plant's material and technical base is constantly being replenished with new freight vehicles. Recently, 28 freight trucks of the "SANY SYZ320 S-8Y" type were delivered to the plant. The capacity of the enterprise allows for the production of 1 million tons of construction materials per year. The report notes that recently the products have also begun to be exported abroad.

Turkmenistan and Iran have agreed to step up cooperation in the railway sector and increase the turnover of transit cargo. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan following the working visit of the Turkmen delegation to Tehran. It is noted that the Minister of Railway Transport of Turkmenistan Mammet Akmammedov held meetings with the Minister of Roads and Urban Development of Iran Farzaneh Sadegh and the head of the Railways Department Jabbar Ali Zakeri. The Turkmen side got acquainted with the work of the wagon control center and the capabilities of the dry port "Aprin" in Tehran, and also visited the Akyayla-Incheburun railway crossing. Particular attention at the talks was paid to the activation of the China-Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway and the international corridor of the “Ashgabat Agreement”, which includes Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Oman. The parties also reached agreements on expanding cooperation within the framework of the railway system of the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and ensuring the effective use of the Armenia-Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan transit and transport corridor.

Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed that the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) initiate a partnership in the field of shipbuilding, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports. "Speaking of sea transportation, it would be appropriate, in our opinion, to initiate cooperation in shipbuilding. Many SCO countries have significant production capacities and extensive experience in this area. Turkmenistan is also actively developing national shipbuilding, and I believe that partnership in this industry can bring tangible mutual benefits," the statement says. The SCO summit was held in Tianjin, China, from August 31 to September 1, and was attended by more than 20 leaders, as well as representatives of international organizations.

At an expanded meeting of the SCO+, Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed that the countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization consider the possibility of using the Turkmenbashy International Sea Port to implement joint projects, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports. "I would like to draw your attention to the capabilities of the Turkmenbashy International Sea Port. We are ready for a practical dialogue on the use of this multifunctional terminal in the interests of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," the President of Turkmenistan said. According to the head of state, the presence of an extensive resource base, the advantages of a geographical location, and the dynamic development of industry and infrastructure contribute to economic rapprochement and the creation of large economic hubs of continental and global significance in the SCO space and the territory of Turkmenistan. He particularly emphasized the transport component of cooperation, noting that there are real opportunities to build a logistics highway along the East-West and North-South lines. "The SCO countries and Turkmenistan are called upon to become key links" in such a highway, the President emphasized. The head of Turkmenistan expressed his conviction that the targeted unification of efforts can create conditions for the formation of a holistic geo-economic space from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic, including the Asia-Pacific region, Central and South Asia, Russia, the Middle and Near East. The President of Turkmenistan paid special attention to the trans-Caspian and Caspian routes, calling the Caspian corridors “a real chance to radically increase the efficiency” of economic opportunities and full access to world markets.

On September 1st, the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (SEIT) held a ceremonial opening of its new buildings, including a teaching building, a sports complex, a student dormitory, and a clean energy Monument. The new buildings have become pilot facilities under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project in Turkmenistan, implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) — “Developing National Capacity of Turkmenistan through Improving Regulatory Environment towards Energy Efficient and Sustainable Building Sector”. The new facilities incorporate solutions aimed at reducing energy consumption, harnessing solar power, conserving water, and creating a comfortable learning environment. UNDP played a key role in the project, providing technical support and expert guidance at all stages — from design and construction to the implementation of energy efficiency, water-saving, and renewable energy solutions. During the final stage of construction, in the course of commissioning works, UNDP specialists, together with TSEI scientists and the Institute’s Scientific and Production Center for Renewable Energy, conducted monitoring of energy and water consumption. The results confirmed the successful integration of “green” building standards and innovative technologies. During the opening ceremony, UNDP presented SEIT with “Green Certificates,” recognizing the institute’s commitment to sustainable and energy-efficient construction. The certificates highlight achievements in implementing water-saving technologies, reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, integrating solar installations and other renewable energy solutions, as well as involving students in sustainable construction practices and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility. Previously, UNDP and SEIT successfully collaborated under the project "Sustainable Cities in Turkmenistan: Integrated Green Urban Development in Ashgabat and Avaza,” implemented jointly with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and financially supported by GEF. The project aimed to promote sustainable urban development, expand the use of renewable energy, and introduce innovative energy-efficient technologies, forming an important part of the country’s efforts to fulfill its international commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change. In the long term, the project helps build a solid knowledge base and expertise in sustainable construction, strengthens SEIT’s capacity as a leading institute for training specialists in energy efficiency and renewable energy, and supports the dissemination of “green” technologies across the country. The experience of implementing “green” technologies at the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan will serve as a key example for constructing low-energy buildings in Turkmenistan and contribute to achieving national sustainable development goals and advancing environmentally friendly solutions in the energy and construction sectors.

On September 1, in Ashgabat, with the participation of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, a solemn opening ceremony of the International University of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs was held. The new university was created on the basis of the Decree of the President of Turkmenistan dated June 27 of this year in order to support the entrepreneurial and business sectors in the training, retraining of personnel with higher education and improving their qualifications. The university was built by the individual enterprise "Nur bina gurluşyk". The university building complex includes a 9-storey main building, 4 academic buildings, 2 dormitories for 300 people each, a conference hall, a library, a canteen, as well as indoor and outdoor sports facilities. Education at the International University of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs will be organized according to a two-tier system, that is, in the areas of bachelor's and master's degree training. Classes will be conducted in Turkmen and English. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov examined the mosaic paintings on the walls of the foyer of the main building of the University, depicting ancient Turkmen merchants and the achievements of entrepreneurs in various fields, including science, education and innovative technologies, visited laboratory classrooms, and talked with young people who were lucky enough to become the first students of the University. Then the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty inspected the exhibition of products manufactured by members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, organized in the courtyard of the University. Having stated that the country's entrepreneurs will continue to receive state support, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, on behalf of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, presented the rector of the International University of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs with the keys to new cars on the occasion of the glorious event. After inspecting the university's sports complex, where all the opportunities for holding various sports events and physical education classes have been created, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov delivered a speech to students, professors and teachers, emphasizing the future-oriented, far-sighted foreign and domestic policy of the President of Turkmenistan. Then the National Leader of the Turkmen people left a memorable entry in the Book of Honored Guests. On behalf of the staff and students of the International University of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a wonderful Turkmen carpet was presented to the President of Turkmenistan. Then the inspiring songs performed by the country's masters of arts concluded the celebration, the State News Agency of Turkmenistan reports.