The Turkmenistan kickboxing team won two gold medals and one bronze medal at the World Championships, which took place from 21 to 30 November in Abu Dhabi. A total of 1,637 athletes from 84 countries participated in the tournament, according to IIC. The gold medals were won by Atajan Atamyradov (low kick, up to 54 kg) and Pygy Silabov (full contact, up to 57 kg). Atamyradov serves in the 1001st Military Unit named after Myalikguly Berdimuhamedov of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan, while Silabov works as a specialist at the state-owned enterprise ‘Türkmensöwdahyzmat’. Toylymyrat Yegeleyev won bronze in the kick-light discipline in the weight category up to 79 kg. He works at the ‘Gülistan’ shopping centre. The Championship is over. The team's result was one of Turkmenistan's notable performances on the international martial arts arena.
The Turkmenistan youth team (U17) defeated Thailand 3-2 in the 2026 Asian Cup qualifying tournament. The match took place in the Thai city of Chonburi. Hudaynazar Meredov scored two goals and Suleymannazar Govshudov scored one, according to Turkmenportal. Earlier, the team led by Ahmet Allaberdiyev defeated the Maldives (6:0) and lost to Kuwait (0:1). In a parallel match of the third round, Kuwait defeated the Maldives 5:0. After three rounds, Kuwait leads Group F with 9 points. The teams of Turkmenistan and Thailand have 6 points each. Mongolia has 3 points, while the Maldives remains without any points. Turkmenistan U17 will play its next match on 30 November against Mongolia.
On 2 December, a festive concert dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality will be held in Ashgabat. The event is organised by the Ministry of Culture and will take place at the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theatre, according to IIC. The main part of the programme will be a performance by a combined symphony orchestra. The orchestra includes students from the Danatar Ovezov Special Music School at the National Conservatory, the Special Music Boarding School and children's art schools in the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag. The orchestra will be conducted by Eziz Jumaniyazov, Meret Muhammetguliyev and Perman Miriyev.
The opening ceremony of the International online Olympiad ‘International Peace and Trust – the Foundation of Economic Development’ was held in city of Arkadag. The event is timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, the 80th anniversary of the UN and the International Year of Peace and Trust. This was reported by IIC. The Olympiad is being held at the International Horse Breeding Academy named after Aba Annayev. It involves 535 students from 72 universities in 15 countries. The aim of the competition is to develop economic thinking, deepen understanding of the role of Peace and Trust in sustainable development, and build economic analysis skills.
A ceremony was held in Ashgabat to mark the 54th anniversary of UAE National Day, according to the news website Asmannews. During the ceremony, congratulations were read out from UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other high-ranking leaders of the country, as well as from the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The active development of Turkmen-Emirati relations was noted: high-level delegations visited the UAE during the year, and the volume of bilateral trade in 2024 reached $1.759 billion, an increase of 75% compared to the previous year. Participants in the event were recommended to read Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid's book ‘Life Taught Me’. The UAE expressed its readiness to strengthen cooperation with Turkmenistan and wished its people prosperity.
Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, Foreign Affairs Minister Rashid Meredov reported on Turkmenistan's cooperation with UN humanitarian agencies during a government meeting on 28 November. This was reported by the state news agency TDH. The development of a strategic partnership with the Organisation is one of the priorities of the country's foreign policy and is being implemented on a systematic basis with the support of the Head of State, based on bilateral agreements and projects in various fields. On 23 October, a Framework Document on Turkmenistan's cooperation with the UN on sustainable development for 2026-2030 was signed. At the sessions of the Executive Boards of UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP, country programmes for their activities in the country for the same period were approved. Working plans and draft documents have been prepared for the implementation of these programmes with the participation of relevant ministries, agencies and public organisations. They concern the protection of children's rights, social security for families, preschool and inclusive education, the ‘Green School’ programme, the adaptation of schools to climate change, the collection and analysis of statistics on children, media coverage of activities, and gender equality. The documents and proposals presented were submitted to the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, for consideration. After hearing the report, the Head of State emphasised the importance of a multi-vector partnership with the UN and approved the proposed measures, instructing the Foreign Affairs Minister to implement them.
Igor Yermolayev, a student at the Institute of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences at North Caucasus Federal University, who came from Turkmenistan, won the All-Russian ‘Foreign Student of the Year’ Award in the ‘Scientific Breakthrough of the Year’ category. This was reported by the news website Asmannews. The award ceremony was held at the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia in Moscow. The award, established by the Association of Foreign Students in Russia, was presented to winners in eight categories.
On 26 November, the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas held an international scientific and practical conference entitled ‘Prospects and Implementation of Digital Innovative Technologies in the Scientific and Educational Sphere.’ The forum was held in a hybrid format and was timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's neutrality, according to the state news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’. The event was attended by representatives of universities, scientific organisations, relevant companies, ministries and international structures. In total, the conference brought together about 1,500 participants from 22 countries. Before the start of the conference, guests were introduced to an exhibition of digital solutions and educational projects prepared by the university. After the grand opening, a plenary session was held, where more than 30 reports were presented. The work then continued in three sections: ‘Digitization and Digital Technologies in the Education System’, ‘Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence’, and ‘The Role of the Digital Economy in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals’. A total of more than 120 reports were heard. The main purpose of the forum was to discuss trends in digital technologies and their integration into education and science, as well as to develop international cooperation in this area. The speakers noted Turkmenistan's achievements in the field of digital solutions, which were made possible due to long-term development programmes and the introduction of modern technologies. Participants emphasised Turkmenistan's readiness to expand partnerships with foreign universities, companies and international organisations in the field of science and technology.
On 25 November, a conference organised by the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the Italian Republic in conjunction with the Italian Institute for Asia (ISIA) was held at Palazzo Valentini. The Turkmen delegation, under the leadership of President of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, A. Ashirov, presented events dedicated to the 30th anniversary of permanent neutrality, the 34th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence, and the declaration of 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. This was reported by the press service of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Turkmenistan. On the sidelines of the conference, a collection of poems by Magtymguly Pyragy was presented in Italian. Diplomats, representatives of state structures and scientific circles of Italy participated in the event. Reports were made by the President of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan A. Ashirov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Italy T. Komekov, Deputy Director of the Magtymguly Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts H. Durdyev. The Italian side was represented by ISIA President M. Morgoni, ISIA Secretary General D. Palmieri, Capitoline Assembly Advisor F. Santori, and Deputy for Culture, Science and Education I. Manzi. The speakers drew attention to the upcoming International Forum, which will be held on 12 December 2025 in Ashgabat and will be dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, International Neutrality Day and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality. A separate section was devoted to the work of Magtymguly Pyragy. It was noted that the publication of 130 poems by the poet in Italian was the result of the work of Italian Orientalists with the advisory support of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan and reflects the active humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. On the same day, the Turkmen delegation held meetings with the Head of the Cultural Heritage Department of Rome, Claudio Parisi Presicce, Senator Francesco Verducci of the Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Heritage of the Senate of the Republic, and Gianluigi Consoli, First Deputy Minister for Science and Innovation of the Ministry of Universities and Research of Italy.
Diplomats and cyber strategy specialists from Turkmenistan's state institutions took part in an OSCE course on the impact of cybersecurity and digital technologies on international diplomacy. The training took place on 27–28 November in Ashgabat in a mixed format, according to IIC. The course was organised by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in cooperation with the Estonian e-Governance Academy (eGA). Participants were introduced to the basic principles of cyber diplomacy and discussed how to incorporate this approach into the national cyber ecosystem. The parties discussed the need to better coordinate the work of diplomatic and technical specialists, take into account cybersecurity priorities in foreign policy, and strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Experts from eGA held online sessions on the role of digital technologies in geopolitics, multilateral processes and the legal regulation of cyberspace. Sixteen representatives of government agencies and universities working in the fields of diplomacy, cyber strategy, cybersecurity and IT participated in the training.
A delegation from Turkmenistan is participating in an investor forum on the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor and the development of connectivity, which is being held in Tashkent. This was reported by the IIC of Turkmenistan. The event focuses on expanding the route's capabilities and strengthening international partnerships in the transport sector. Representatives from the EU, the Black Sea region and Central Asia are participating in the forum. The forum's organisers aim to create new growth points for the region's transport and logistics potential and to increase the efficiency of existing routes. The Trans-Caspian transport route, known as the Middle Corridor, connects Europe and Asia and is actively used for container transport by both rail and sea.
On 24 November, a Turkmen delegation led by the head of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, Allaberdi Ashirov, visited the Italian city of Acquasparta. This was reported by the news agency Orient. The delegation was received by the mayor of the city, Giovanni Montani. During the visit, the delegation visited the Palazzo Cesi, the world's first academy of sciences, where Galileo Galilei worked, and key cultural and scientific sites in the region. During the meeting, A. Ashirov spoke about Turkmenistan's foreign policy, which is based on neutrality, peacefulness, and mutually beneficial cooperation. The development of bilateral relations in accordance with the agreements reached during the visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Italy in October was discussed. The mayor of Acquasparta invited the Turkmen representatives to an international conference of mathematicians and physicists. In turn, A. Ashirov invited the mayor to a conference dedicated to Turkmenistan's Science Day. The parties confirmed their readiness for further dialogue and strengthening cooperation between the countries and exchanged best wishes.