Delegations of Turkmenistan and Russia in Ashgabat. Photo: Russian Government Press Service
Russia will appoint a “digital attaché” to Turkmenistan to promote Russian IT projects in the Central Asian country. The announcement was made by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko during a working visit to Ashgabat, according to the Russian government’s Telegram channel.
The decision was reached during Grigorenko’s meeting with his Turkmen counterpart Mammetkhan Chakiyev and the country’s Minister of Communications, Khajymyrat Khudaigulyyev. The Russian digital attaché in Ashgabat is expected to begin work by the end of this year.
According to Grigorenko, Russian IT solutions are in high demand both domestically and abroad.
“The digital attaché service is one of the key tools for effectively promoting Russian IT projects internationally. Appointing such a specialist to work in Turkmenistan is a confident step toward strengthening mutually beneficial technological cooperation between our countries,” he said.
Grigorenko noted that Russia has developed a range of modern products with strong export potential — including language models, search engines, marketplaces, antivirus software, and biometric services. He added that a new biometric-based train boarding system is nearing completion and will be tested within the next six months.
The Russian government’s press service stated that digital attachés are currently working in 19 countries, including China, Argentina, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates.
As part of his visit to Ashgabat, Grigorenko also delivered a lecture to students at the Turkmenistan Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics, discussing key challenges and opportunities in digital development. He noted that, since September 1, Russia has launched enhanced training programs to prepare world-class specialists in information technology and artificial intelligence. Around 40 universities and more than 6,000 students — including international students studying in Russia — are taking part in the initiative.
Moscow and Ashgabat have also been strengthening cooperation in education. On October 13, it was announced that a new primary school building for the Pushkin Russian-Turkmen School will open in Ashgabat in 2027.
Turkmen Deputy Minister of Trade Nokerguly Atagulyyev noted that dozens of Russian-language schools operate across the country and that Russian is taught in all general education institutions. He added that more than 56,000 Turkmen students are currently studying at universities in Russia.
