The road is long: the CIS is building new transport routes
The CIS has begun to create a large-scale transport system. At the meeting of the heads of government in Ashgabat, the parties agreed, in particular, to link the main logistical arteries. This will ensure fast, safe and economical transportation, increase cargo flows and attract investors. The traditional component of the commonwealth, trade— also does not stand still. The trade turnover between Russia and the CIS countries increased by almost 6.5% in January –February 2026, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said. The head of the Cabinet of Ministers spoke at the meeting and had separate talks with the President of the host country, the Head of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. About how and into what the CIS is being transformed — in the material of Izvestia.
The Russian delegation arrived at the meeting in Mercedes
Since the morning of May 22, white marble Ashgabat has been living in the regime of a big diplomatic day. The capital of Turkmenistan, one of the most closed countries in the world, welcomed many high-ranking guests who gathered for a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of Government. This is one of the key meetings of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which, by the way, is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year. Although Turkmenistan is not legally a member of the CIS, it has the status of an associate member, which allows it to hold such events.
Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin and Deputy Chairman of the Government of Turkmenistan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov at a welcoming ceremony at Ashgabat Airport
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who headed the Russian delegation, flew to Ashgabat on the day of the meeting. A Turkmen carpet, the most important national symbol of the country, reflecting its history and tribal traditions, was specially placed on the plane ramp for him. Its significance is evidenced by the fact that oriental carpet ornaments are displayed even on the national flag, and in the country itself there is an official holiday — the Day of the Turkmen carpet.
By the time the government delegations arrived, Ashgabat looked particularly sophisticated, resembling a theatrical stage with decorations — immaculate facades, almost empty highways with rare, but, of course, white cars — this is a familiar picture for the Turkmen capital. The unspoken, multi-year campaign against dark cars has long been a part of the city's visual culture, and this day was no exception. The Russian delegation, observing all local rules, also arrived at their destination not in the usual black Auruses, but in white Mercedes.
The barely audible hum of a car engine hardly disturbed the silence reigning in the capital. It seemed that the whole city froze in anticipation of the event, but silence is a common thing for the streets of Ashgabat. The hot weather, the almost complete absence of public entertainment, outdoor verandas, cafes and strict order have led to the fact that citizens spend most of their time either at home or in courtyards, local journalists said. The scorching and literally blinding sun, whose rays were reflected in the golden domes and, again, white marble, forced all the high-ranking guests to hurry inside the hotel, where the council meeting was to take place.
Heads of government of the CIS countries met in Ashgabat
Prior to the main event, Mikhail Mishustin managed to hold a bilateral meeting with the President and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the country Serdar Berdimuhamedov. He became the head of Turkmenistan in 2022, replacing his father Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who nevertheless retained great weight in power, becoming the national leader of the people.
President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin during a meeting in Ashgabat
In a conversation with Berdimuhamedov Jr., the Russian Prime Minister thanked him for the warm welcome, conveyed Vladimir Putin's best wishes and stressed that Moscow was sincerely interested in strengthening friendship, good neighborliness and strategic partnership with Ashgabat.
The main resource in the cooperation between the two countries is the huge transit potential, as Mikhail Mishustin noted. Geography allows us to develop promising transport routes in the Caspian region and in Eurasia in general. In particular, the North–South international transport corridor, which connects countries with the markets of China, India, the Asia-Pacific region and Africa, as well as the Persian Gulf, is rapidly gaining momentum. The latter route is becoming particularly relevant due to the impasse in the Strait of Hormuz, which is likely to continue to be used as a geopolitical weapon, causing enormous difficulties to the global economy.
Mikhail Mishustin later noted that a number of priority projects for the expansion of the North–South railway had already been completed, in particular, checkpoints on its western route had been reconstructed, and work had been carried out to deepen the bottom of the Volga-Caspian Canal. And soon there will be important highways to bypass the largest cities.
What documents were signed at the meeting
The main advantage of the CIS, which allows the organization to remain viable for decades, is a working mechanism of "cheap", duty-free trade and deep household integration without strict political obligations. Although not all the countries involved in the CIS appreciate it. This spring, Moldova launched the legal procedure for final withdrawal, while Ukraine has long been defiantly leaving the agreements, while remaining in the most useful ones for itself. And Georgia severed ties with the union because of the events of 2008.
Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the CIS is clearly demonstrated by the latest figures. The trade turnover between Russia and the CIS countries in January – February 2026 increased by almost 6.5% compared to the same period last year, Mikhail Mishustin said, speaking at a meeting in a narrow format.
— In order to achieve results, we should all move more actively from the formation of common concepts to the practical implementation of the agreements reached. These are, first of all, energy, transport and logistics, industry, agriculture and digitalization," he said.
Digital services are actively used by the CIS countries. For example, starting in 2024, 70% of all customs declarations within the CIS are processed electronically, the prime minister recalled. However, this progress stands in stark contrast to the effect of "digital silence" in Turkmenistan itself, where all the world's famous social networks and messengers are blocked, and mobile communications and the Internet are very expensive.
Following the meeting in an expanded format, the premiers signed six documents. In particular, the concept of connecting the main transport arteries in the CIS countries was approved. Ideally, this will ensure fast, safe and economical transportation on multimodal routes, which will attract new cargo flows and investors. Perhaps this is the first step towards forming a Large Eurasian Partnership, which could include the EAEU, SCO and even ASEAN, which was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin back in 2015.
In addition, the participants approved the Strategy of the CIS congress and Exhibition activities for the period up to 2030. Thus, Minsk will become the Youth Capital of the Commonwealth in 2027, and Karaganda in 2028.
Pragmatic cooperation is a priority for the member states of the Commonwealth today, Artur Zabbarov, Deputy head of the Department of Political Projects at the Polylog Group, Candidate of Political Sciences, told Izvestia.
"After 2022, the importance of this contour has objectively increased: some of the traditional foreign economic directions have been limited by sanctions, and the CIS space has become one of the key channels for maintaining industrial cooperation, logistics, transit, financial settlements and labor movement," the expert explained.
He stressed that the CIS remains the most important market and economic presence for Russia. After the departure of our Western partners, many of our companies have reoriented part of their supply chains through the Commonwealth countries. In addition, it is an opportunity to build an alternative logistics architecture in the context of the fragmentation of the global economy.
Adapting to new realities, the model of the commonwealth itself is changing. Previously, the political component dominated, but now integration is becoming more "technocratic" — through infrastructure, digital platforms, energy and logistics projects, and specific industry mechanisms.
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