CIS Diplomacy: Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met CIS Secretary-General Sergey Lebedev in Ashgabat to coordinate preparations for major CIS meetings in Avaza on Oct. 7 and 9, including agenda planning and how to advance Turkmenistan’s 2026 CIS chair priorities. Parliamentary Agenda: The CIS Interparliamentary Assembly will hold events in Ashgabat on Nov. 19–20, with the 61st plenary session for the first time in Turkmenistan during its CIS chairmanship. Regional Trade & Transport: Ashgabat hosted a C5+1 Secretariat meeting with the U.S. and Central Asian states, focusing on expanding cooperation in critical minerals, trade and transport. Afghanistan Linkages: Afghanistan’s ACCI chairman met Turkmenistan’s ambassador in Kabul to discuss private-sector cooperation and transit corridors, with an invitation to join Turkmenistan’s October investment forum. Water-Efficient Farming: UNDP trained Turkmen irrigation specialists on FAO CROPWAT 8.0 to improve crop water planning under a GEF-backed Aral Sea basin project. Gender & Justice: UNFPA and Turkmenistan’s Supreme Court ran a two-day CEDAW seminar for law enforcement and judicial practice, emphasizing survivor-centered approaches and preventing discrimination. Digital Economy: UNDP delivered an online course on securities market legal regulation for officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Ashgabat Stock Exchange. Sports: Turkmen karateka Gurbannazar Amandurdyyev won silver at the Asian Karate Championships in Jordan. Culture & Youth: The final round of the children’s song competition “Garaşsyzlygyň merjen däneleri” took place in Ak bugday, with President Serdar Berdimuhamedov addressing the young finalists.