Turkmenistan will also hold international forums under the UN flag, in Astrakhan they are discussing the launch of flights to Ashgabat and Turkmenbashy, a telephone conversation took place between the heads of the Foreign Ministries of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan and other news

Turkmenistan

1. The upcoming international forums in Turkmenistan will be held under the national flag of the country and the UN flag. This was stated by the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during a telephone conversation with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The UN Secretary General noted the current relevance of all initiatives put forward by Turkmenistan in the international arena, and once again confirmed support for activities in this direction, implemented on the basis of the principles of neutrality and peacefulness.

2. The possibility of opening air traffic between the Astrakhan region and Turkmenistan on the Astrakhan-Ashgabat and Astrakhan-Turkmenbashy routes is being worked out. This was announced by the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Astrakhan region Vladimir Golovkov at a meeting with journalists.

3. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held a telephone conversation during which they discussed issues of bilateral cooperation. The interlocutors exchanged views on key areas of the international agenda and confirmed the importance of continuing interaction within the framework of regional and international structures.

4. The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Turkmenistan has announced the start of registration for participation in the 99th TOPIK Korean Language Proficiency Examination 2025, which will be held in Ashgabat. Interested persons should visit the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages and submit an application in person between January 17 and 28.

5. Turkmenistan was represented at the exhibition “The Eternal Tranquility of Calligraphy and Art” held at the gallery of the National Council of Arts of Pakistan in Islamabad. The exhibits presented by the Embassy of Turkmenistan demonstrated the beauty and diversity of the national culture, its rich history and modernity.

6. In Ashgabat, a meeting was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Liu Bin. The parties discussed a wide range of issues, noting the successful cooperation between Turkmenistan and China within the framework of international and regional structures, primarily within the UN.

World

7. In a bid to combat the growing problem of obesity, the Maltese government has launched a programme to support healthy lifestyles. Young people aged 18 to 20 will be given six months of access to fitness centres completely free of charge. The cost of such memberships on the market ranges from 225 to 450 euros. According to the World Obesity Federation, by 2030, more than 30% of adult Maltese may face the problem of obesity. The programme will be launched soon, and the Maltese authorities hope that it will help the younger generation develop the habit of regular physical activity.

8. Rapper and entrepreneur Kanye West has released a new shoe model YZY SL-01 and earned 2,3 million USD in the first day of sales. The new product, made in a minimalist style and reminiscent of rubber slippers, went on sale at a reasonable price of 20 USD. The design of the shoes is laconic: the only branding element is the numbers stamped on the thin sole.

Sport

9. Two players from the Turkmenistan national team have gone on tryouts with clubs in the Belarusian Premier League. Forward Meylis Diniev has arrived at “Vitebsk”, where his compatriot, defender Vepa Jumayev, is already playing. Midfielder Teymur Charyev is undergoing tryouts with Zhodino's “Torpedo-BelAZ”. The 24-year-old midfielder is known for his performances for the Kyrgyz club “Abdysh-Ata”, with which he twice became the champion of the country.