State Visit to Azerbaijan, New Industrial Capacities – From the Meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Saturday, June 20. Deputy Prime Ministers reported on key areas of state affairs, the modernization of fuel and energy infrastructure, the implementation of digital standards in the banking sector, and preparations for important international events.
The main political announcement of the meeting was the report by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov on the preparations for the upcoming state visit of the President of Turkmenistan to the Republic of Azerbaijan.
To date, the legal framework between the two countries includes 124 documents, and mutual trade turnover has demonstrated steady growth. The new round of high-level talks is expected to elevate the strategic partnership between Ashgabat and Baku in energy, communications, and transit and transport corridors to a qualitatively new level. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressed specific instructions to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to ensure the high level of organization of the visit.
Deputy Prime Minister Guvanch Agajanov reported on the oil and gas sector, including on the implementation of the presidential decree authorizing the Turkmennebit State Concern to enter into an agreement with Malaysia's Petronas Carigali and the state-owned enterprise Hazarnebit to develop licensed blocks in the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea. Furthermore, proposals from the Turkmengeology State Corporation to implement international experience to improve the efficiency of deep drilling in exploratory wells were approved.
Important decisions were also made for the development of the chemical and light industries. Discussion included the creation of modern, high-tech production facilities within the Turkmenhimiya State Concern to produce high-quality, environmentally friendly salts from local raw materials for export. A plan for the technological modernization of the Argaç wool spinning mill of the Turkmenhaly State Association was approved to ensure an uninterrupted supply of raw materials to carpet factories.
As part of the implementation of the Digital Economy Development Concept for 2026–2028, Deputy Prime Minister Khodjamyrat Geldimyradov presented a project to modernize the State Bank for Foreign Economic Affairs. The bank is introducing new software systems and electronic services that comply with international financial standards.
In the transport sector, Deputy Prime Minister Batyr Annayev reported on measures to strengthen the material and technical infrastructure of rail transport. Proposals to increase the capacity of domestic highways to accommodate growing volumes of domestic petroleum products and transit cargo were approved.
In agriculture, key attention was paid to the harvesting campaign. Deputy Prime Minister Tangryguly Atakhalliyev reported on maintaining the high pace of harvesting and ensuring timely payments to farmers through bank terminals. Meanwhile, cotton crops are being tended in the velayats, rice is being planted in the Dashoguz and Lebap regions, and sugar beet is being planted in the Mary velayat.
An important social step of the meeting was the signing by the President of the Resolution approving the National Program "Healthy Mother – Healthy Child – Healthy Future" for 2026–2030. The program is aimed at large-scale disease prevention and improving the quality of pediatric and medical services throughout the country.
