Biodiversity: President Serdar Berdimuhamedov told the COP17 leaders’ summit in Yerevan that Turkmenistan is ready to work with other countries to protect nature and tackle biodiversity loss. Japan Energy Ties: A Turkmen delegation visited Japan to advance hydrogen research and specialist training with the University of Tsukuba and energy agencies. Regional Cooperation: Turkmenistan’s foreign minister joined Azerbaijani and Uzbek counterparts in Baku to discuss transport links, trade and energy projects. Transport Skills: Officials from all five Central Asian states met in Ashgabat with European partners to discuss workforce skills for the Trans-Caspian corridor. Afghanistan Power Link: A 500-kilovolt line connecting Turkmenistan’s grid to Kabul is expected to be completed within ten months, according to Afghanistan’s power utility. C5+1 Talks: Turkmenistan is due to join Central Asian foreign ministers’ talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Samarkand. Uyghur advocates have urged Rubio to press regional leaders to protect Uyghurs from forced returns to China. Security: Russia’s Sergey Lavrov warned of militant threats near Afghanistan’s borders with Turkmenistan and other Central Asian states.