Russia’s Putin in Turkmenistan: Boosting Regional Ties, Calling for “New World Order”

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Turkmenistan on Friday for a visit focused on strengthening ties with regional leaders and offering his vision of a “new world order,” The Associated Press reports.

Putin is participating in an international forum in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, alongside Central Asian leaders and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The Kremlin has said that Putin will discuss the situation in the Middle East with Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the conference.

This meeting comes amid heightened tensions with the West since the start of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The US claims that Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia.

The Ashgabat forum is drawing leaders from across the region, including Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and the heads of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

In his opening remarks, Putin reiterated his call for a “new world order.”

Beyond the forum, Putin is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Turkmen President Serdar Berdymukhamedov. Berdymukhamedov, who succeeded his father Gurbanguly in March 2022, is leading a gas-rich nation of Turkmenistan.