Turkmenistan and TURKSOY intend to strengthen multifaceted cooperation

On November 15, 2024, a meeting was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and a delegation led by the Secretary General of the International Organization of Turkic Culture (TURKSOY) Sultan Rayev.
During the meeting, current issues of cooperation were discussed, promising areas of partnership between Turkmenistan and TURKSOY were outlined. According to the mutual opinion of the parties, relations between Turkmenistan and TURKSOY have noticeably intensified in recent years.
At the beginning of the meeting, the head of the foreign policy department, expressing gratitude on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan to the leadership of TURKSOY for the work carried out in Turkmenistan and abroad in the field of popularization of Turkmen culture, emphasized the enormous contribution of the organization to strengthening fraternal ties between the Turkic peoples based on their cultural and basic values. It was noted that a lot of work has been done this year to hold over 40 different events in honor of significant dates along the TURKSOY line - the announcement of 2024 as the "Year of the great poet and thinker of the Turkic world - Makhtumkuli Fragi", the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of the great classic of Eastern literature, and the selection of the ancient Turkmen city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world. Among the most important events, the celebrations held in March of this year on the occasion of the announcement of the city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024, as well as the launch ceremony of the events scheduled to be held in accordance with the honorary status delegated to the city, the II Theater Festival of the TURKSOY Member States, the I Biennial of Fine Arts of the Turkic World, the annual meeting of museum directors and the meeting of writers of the TURKSOY member countries, as well as the Gorkut ata International Film Festival, were noted.
During the meeting, the interlocutors emphasized the importance of holding the final ceremonial events on November 16 of this year on the occasion of the announcement of the city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024, as well as the next meeting of the Permanent Council of Ministers of Culture of the TURKSOY Member States and a concert of art masters of the Turkic states. The participants placed special emphasis on the organization of upcoming joint events scheduled for 2025.
The Secretary General of TURKSOY asked to present the book "Anau - a culture from the depths of millennia" published in Turkish to the President of Turkmenistan and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan.
As part of the events on the occasion of the announcement of the city of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2024, TURKSOY organized competitions of works of art and essays. During the meeting, S. Rayev also handed over to the Turkmen side a collection of works by the finalists of the art competition "Turkmenistan and the Turkic World through the Eyes of Young Artists" and a collection of essays by the winners of the competition "Makhtumkuli Fragi - Thinker and Poet".
Along with this, the Turkmen side was handed over the Report of TURKSOY Activities (October 2023 - September 2024).
R. Meredov noted that Turkmenistan views TURKSOY as a connecting bridge between ISESCO and UNESCO. It was also said that TURKSOY creates new formats of cooperation, in particular the Meeting of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the TURKSOY Member States. At the end of the meeting, the interlocutors emphasized the fruitful nature of Turkmenistan's interaction with TURKSOY, aimed at preserving, studying and popularizing the rich cultural heritage of the Turkic-speaking peoples in the world.