On June 18, St. Petersburg hosted the International Conference on Strengthening Cultural Ties and Developing Creative and Artistic Industries. A Turkmenistan delegation, led by the Minister of Education of Turkmenistan, Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev, attended the conference, as reported by the education.gov.tm.
The conference featured speeches by Mikhail Mishustin, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Aleksandr Turchin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus; Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic — Head of the Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic; Kokhir Rasulzoda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tajikistan; Abdulla Aripov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan; as well as Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev, Minister of Education of Turkmenistan.
The event was dedicated to pressing issues in strengthening cultural ties, preserving shared historical and cultural heritage, developing interstate humanitarian dialogue, and promoting creative and artistic industries as an important direction for modern international cooperation.
During the plenary session titled “Cultural Interaction: Heritage Preservation and Global Dialogue in the Modern World,” participants reviewed the current state and future prospects of international cooperation, focusing on preserving shared historical and cultural heritage, strengthening humanitarian ties, developing interstate dialogue, and establishing modern cooperation mechanisms amid the changing international environment.
Special attention within the conference program was given to the panel discussion “Intercultural Dialogue: Traditions, Modern Meanings, and New Formats of Cooperation.” Participants discussed current trends and prospects for interaction in cinematography, theater arts, library and museum affairs, musical culture, and creative education.
Within this framework, particular emphasis was placed on preserving shared cultural heritage, strengthening professional and institutional ties, supporting joint projects, expanding cultural exchanges, and developing new cooperation formats that meet contemporary societal demands.
Additionally, during the panel discussion “Creative Industries on the International Cooperation Agenda,” experts examined ways to unite efforts toward creating a unified cultural and economic space, developing joint projects with high export potential, supporting creative startups, and scaling successful practices at the interstate level.
Special focus was directed toward the impact of creative industries on preserving the cultural code of nations in today’s digital world, as well as the need to bring together talent, traditions, and technology to shape new, competitive cultural products.
In his speech, Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev, Minister of Education of Turkmenistan, noted that under Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the CIS in 2026, special importance is attached to strengthening cultural and humanitarian cooperation, preserving historical and cultural heritage, developing interstate dialogue, and promoting modern forms of partnership. It was emphasized that Turkmenistan, guided by its “open door” policy and status of permanent neutrality, views culture as a “golden bridge” that unites peoples, strengthens trust, mutual understanding, and respect.
The participation of the Turkmenistan delegation in this event reflects the country’s consistent commitment to developing cultural and humanitarian cooperation, strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between peoples, and supporting joint initiatives across the CIS.
Given Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the CIS in 2026, special significance is placed on advancing humanitarian dialogue, preserving spiritual and cultural heritage, and developing education, science, culture, and creative industries as vital pathways for long-term partnership.
The Turkmen side confirmed its interest in further developing mutually beneficial cooperation, expanding cultural exchanges, supporting joint projects, and strengthening professional ties between cultural, educational institutions, and creative communities of the participating nations.
