Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in two international forums in Turkmenistan on October 9 - the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State and the Caspian Environmental Summit. Both events are taking place in the Avaza national tourist area on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea.
Putin arrived in Turkmenistan on October 8 for a working visit. His visit lasts two days and includes talks with the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian. Information about the program was announced by the assistant to the Russian president, Yuri Ushakov.
The CIS meeting
The meeting of the CIS heads of state is being held in a year when Turkmenistan presides over the organization's bodies. The leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, are expected to participate in the forum.
According to Ushakov, the Russian leader can inform the participants about the current situation surrounding the conflict in Ukraine if requested by the other heads of state. The assistant to the president did not indicate in advance whether such a discussion will be included in the official program.
In 2026, the CIS will celebrate its 35th anniversary. Among the topics of the meeting are the development of multilateral cooperation and economic ties between the countries of the organization. According to data presented by Ushakov, Russia's trade with the CIS countries exceeded $110 billion in 2025, and in the first half of 2026 it grew by another 12 percent.
Focus on the Caspian Sea
After the CIS meeting, Putin will participate in the Caspian Environmental Summit. It will include the leaders of the five Caspian littoral states - Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan.
The main environmental issue on the agenda is the decline in the level of the Caspian Sea. Ushakov pointed out that fluctuations in water levels are cyclical, but climatic factors lead to a decrease in water inflow and increased evaporation.
“The key task is to protect the natural environment and ensure the ecological security of the Caspian Sea“, said Yuri Ushakov.According to preliminary information, the participants will discuss cooperation in the field of nature protection, and at the end of the meeting it is expected to adopt a declaration on the environmental problems of the Caspian Sea, including the lowering of the water level.
Sources: tass.ru, interfax.ru, rbc.ru