St. Petersburg, on New Year's Eve, became a venue for setting the record straight for 2026. The visit of the President of Turkmenistan underscores Ashgabat's active role in strengthening regional dialogue and discussing strategic areas of cooperation within the Commonwealth.

St. Petersburg, December 21 | ORIENT. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov arrived in St. Petersburg to participate in the traditional informal meeting of the heads of state of the CIS member states.

At Pulkovo International Airport, the President of Turkmenistan was met by St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov and Leningrad Region Governor Alexander Drozdenko.

The visit began with a deeply symbolic event at the Mariinsky Theatre—the award ceremony of the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize.

Speaking at the ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the prize is intended to promote the formation of a just, multipolar world order based on the rule of international law—ideas that neutral Turkmenistan consistently supports.

For their significant personal contributions to strengthening peace and security in the Central Asian region, the award was presented to President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The jury recognized the historic event of March 2025—the signing of the Khujand treaty establishing the border junction of the three countries. This act of "eternal friendship" overcame a period of uncertainty and created the foundation for unprecedented trust in the region.

An informal meeting of the CIS heads of state will be held in St. Petersburg on December 22. The agenda includes the results of joint work over the past year, integration priorities, and the agreement on strategic areas of cooperation for 2026.