Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will pay an official visit to Turkmenistan in the near future. He will take part in the opening of a railway bridge and laying the foundation for an automobile bridge across the Amu Darya river.

The prominent Russian archaeologist, Viktor Sarianidi, was honored with the medal of the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The Ambassador of Afghanistan to Russia, Zalmay Aziz, handed the highest award to the scientist during the celebration of the Independence Day of Afghanistan in Moscow on August 19.

Legendary archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi talks about spring finds of the joint Turkmen-Russian expedition
Archaeologist Victor Sarianidi is a discoverer of the country of Margush which existed in the territory of modern Turkmenistan in the III-II century BC. The expedition under his leadership has been carrying out excavations in the ancient delta of Murgab River for more than 40 years. The expedition is digging in the capital city of this country - Gonur, the city of palaces, temples and royal burials. "There was a day that I decided that we already found everything we could in Gonur-Depe, Sarianidi confessed. However, next spring field season of 2009 proved that Gonur can present many wonderful surprises to the historical science and the entire mankind."

Viktor Yushchenko would visit Turkmenistan this September. At the invitation of the Turkmen leader the President of Ukraine would attend the ceremony of putting the railway bridge across the Amu Darya River into operation. The bridge was constructed by the Ukrainian companies.

Famous archaeologist Victor Sarianidi will hold a press conference on 2 July in the Moscow House of Nationalities on the unique discoveries made by the joint Turkmen-Russian expedition under his leadership during the spring season of excavations in the ancient country of Margush.

On 31 August, Russian first deputy prime minister Victor Zubkov attended an inauguration ceremony of the Russian Gubkin Oil and Gas University (RGU) branch in Ashgabat as well as a ceremony that bid farewell to Turkmen students admitted by various Russian higher educational establishments.

The National Exhibition of the Russian Federation Economic Growth and Mutually Advantageous Partnership, which could be rightfully called one of the brightest events in the modern history of the relations between two states, closed in Ashgabat. Over 120 companies and enterprises representing 16 regions of Russia took part in the forum.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov participated in the CIS informal summit in St. Petersburg.