Turkmenistan lies at the heart of Eurasia, between the Caspian Sea and its borders with Iran, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. This position makes the country a natural link in transit routes between East and West and between North and South. In recent years it has been building a multimodal logistics system that unites road, rail, sea and air transport. The centerpiece of this system is the Turkmenbashi International Seaport. It has operated since May 2018 and has focused on stimulating international cooperation in transport and logistics. The new port more than tripled the country’s cargo handling capacity to 25–26 million tons per year. It is the largest cargo and passenger hub on Turkmenistan’s coast. In March 2026, a European Union delegation visited the port, where both sides discussed making effective use of the Trans-Caspian corridor’s potential. The port is a key part of the Caspian Sea–Black Sea corridor. Officials are discussing ways to increase freight traffic through the ports of Turkmenbashi, Baku, Poti, Batumi and Constanta. The Lapis Lazuli Corridor also forms a route from Afghanistan through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia to Turkey. On the railways, the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran line, opened in 2014, connects Central Asia with the Persian Gulf. On the roads, highways link the country with Kazakhstan, Iran and Afghanistan, and new high-speed roads are being built toward Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In aviation, Ashgabat’s international airport and the new airports in the regions meet international standards. Speaking at the Central Asia + Japan Dialogue Summit, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov presented a strategy to turn the country into a key Eurasian logistics hub. He stressed that new routes should complement existing ones rather than replace them.

Ecosystem stability refers to nature's ability to maintain its own balance, biodiversity, and purity. Human health is directly dependent on the state of the environment. A stable ecosystem provides humans with essential baseline resources necessary for survival. The connection between humans and nature is profound, and ecosystem stability serves as a guarantee for both physical and mental human health. Clean Air and Water: Forests and plants purify the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Natural water sources and healthy soils filter water, making it safe for drinking. Food Security and Soil Fertility: A stable soil ecosystem and rich biodiversity (such as insect pollinators for crops) ensure abundant and high-quality agricultural yields. Disease Prevention: Maintaining natural balance prevents the overproliferation of infection carriers (such as insects and rodents). The loss of biodiversity increases the risk of new viruses and diseases transferring to humans. Psychological and Mental Health: Natural environments, green spaces, and pristine ecosystems reduce stress levels, normalize blood pressure, and soothe the nervous system. Pharmaceutical Resources: More than 50% of modern medicines are derived from natural plants and biological resources. Richer biodiversity enhances the potential for discovering new lifesaving drugs. Prevention of Zoonotic Infections: Protecting natural habitats maintains crucial boundaries between wildlife and human populations, preventing the spillover of zoonotic viruses to humans. Climate Regulation: Forests and oceans regulate global temperatures. A stable climate protects communities from extreme heatwaves, droughts, and natural disasters. Safeguarding human health relies not only on healthcare systems but is fundamentally connected to protecting the ecosystem and maintaining its stability. A resilient environment is the foundation of a healthy, prosperous society. Preserving ecosystem purity is the most critical step toward securing the well-being of future generations.

The biological diversity of the Caspian Sea as a whole consists of 1814 species of plants and animals. In the part of the sea belonging to us, there are over 900 species, which are represented by 50 taxonomic units, ranging from single-celled algae to higher plants, and from protozoa (foraminifera, flagellates) to birds and mammals. A significant part of these are endemic, making the Caspian Sea one of the most unique and incomparable water bodies on our planet. The biological diversity of the Hazar State Nature Reserve (HSNR) is distinguished by an abundance of species, as it includes not only marine areas but also certain freshwater bodies and significant areas of land that host rich groups of plants and terrestrial animals. The species composition of these groups is diverse, and many of them are important biological resources. The most numerous class of vertebrate animals in the reserve is birds, consisting of 311 species belonging to 19 orders. The coasts of the part of the sea belonging to us connect the Central Asian and East Asian migration routes, which are considered among the most important in the world. The area of the HSNR is of great importance for the survival of the only representative of the Pinnipedia order, the endemic Caspian seal (Phoca caspica). The biodiversity of the HSNR includes: 429 species of vertebrates, 48 species of fish, 2 species of amphibians, 26 species of reptiles, and 42 species of mammals. Many of them are included in the Red Book of Turkmenistan. The reserve contains 660 species of plants, including about 30 species of lower plants (fungi, mosses, lichens) and 528 species of flowering plants, which include 9 regional endemics and 5 species listed in the Red Book of Turkmenistan. The diversity of flora and fauna in the shallow coastal zone provides a rich food base with a biomass reaching hundreds of thousands of tons, attracting large numbers of migratory and wintering wetland and waterfowl to the Hazar Reserve. Today, in order to preserve the extremely rich biodiversity of the HSNR, it is necessary to create new forms of resource management aimed at providing alternative approaches to the use of natural wealth, either in cooperation with certain groups of the population or with their participation. Organized tours and treks in the habitats of rare and endemic animals can provide local communities with more income than using these animals for commercial purposes. The aesthetic value of many biodiversity objects (animals and plants) is much higher than their market price as food.