On 30 December 2025, a telephone conversation was held between the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko.

At the beginning of the conversation, Hero-Arkadag and the Speaker of the Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the forthcoming New Year 2026, wishing happiness, well-being, and prosperity to the peoples of the two countries.

Thanking the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for the telephone call, Hero-Arkadag noted that he regards this initiative as a sign of strong mutual friendship and an opportunity to convey sincere good wishes on the eve of the New Year.

Hero-Arkadag emphasized the significance of a number of visits by the President of Turkmenistan to Russia to take part in celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, as well as the high-level meeting of the heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In this context, it was noted that the initiative "Train of Memory" commemorating the victory in the Great Patriotic War was supported in Turkmenistan, and that a delegation of schoolchildren from our country took part in it, Hero-Arkadag stated, expressing gratitude for the organization of this landmark event.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people noted that Turkmenistan highly values the readiness of Russia to strengthen cooperation with our country, its support for the neutral foreign policy course abd the efforts of Turkmenistan to preserve and reinforce international stability and to promote the philosophy of peace, trust, and respectful dialogue in interstate relations.

A vivid confirmation of this was the visit of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin to Ashgabat to participate in the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust, as well as in the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan.

The significance of the visit of a delegation of our country headed by the Chairperson of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan to Moscow in October 2025 was also emphasized.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people noted that an important event in the context of the development of humanitarian cooperation was the visit to Saint Petersburg of the delegation of Turkmenistan headed by the Vice President of the Charity Fund for Providing Assistance to Children in Need of Guardianship named after Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Oguljhahan Atabayeva to take part in the 4th International Forum "Commonwealth of Fashion". Taking the opportunity, Hero-Arkadag expressed gratitude for the hospitality extended to the Turkmen delegation and for the opportunity to meet with the Chairwoman of the Federation Council on the sidelines of the Forum.

Hero-Arkadag informed that, in accordance with the decision of the CIS Council of Heads of State, the next CIS Summit will be held in Turkmenistan on 9 October 2026. The Turkmen side plans to hold the Summit in the Avaza National Tourist Zone, which offers all the necessary conditions for hosting major international forums.

At the same time, the importance of preparing such events as the Women’s Dialogue, a meeting of the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, and a Conference on Demographic Issues within the Chairmanship of Turkmenistan within the CIS was underlined.

It was emphasized that Valentina Matviyenko is very much respected ib Turkmenistan due to her personal contribution and efforts to develop Turkmen–Russian relations. In this regard, Hero-Arkadag expressed sincere appreciation to the Chairwoman of the Federation Council on his own behalf and on behalf of the President of Turkmenistan.

Hero-Arkadag also expressed confidence that talks with the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation will take place next year, the results of which will bring Turkmen–Russian relations to a new level.

In turn, the Speaker of the Upper Chamber of the Russian Parliament thanked Hero-Arkadag for the kind words and the high appraisal of her activities aimed at developing constructive relations between the two countries.

At the conclusion of the telephone conversation, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the Chairwoman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Valentina Matviyenko once again exchanged congratulations on the occasion of the upcoming New Year 2026 and their best wishes.