Executive summary
Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov arrived in Rome on October 24, 2025, for a state visit that involves a meeting with Italian leaders, attendance at a business forum, and the opening of an archaeological exhibition at the Musei Capitolini.
The visit will conclude with the signing of multiple bilateral documents covering energy, transport, and cultural cooperation. In the short term, this official visit can lead to diplomatic strengthening, greater media focus on Turkmen cultural diplomacy, and specific business talks to get Italy involved in Turkmen projects.
Regionally, the visit underlines Italy’s renewed operational interest in Central Asia as part of a broader European engagement, with implications for corridor development and diversification of Central Asian foreign partnerships.
Key findings
- The Turkmen President’s official visit to Rome, along with the “Ancient Civilisation of Turkmenistan” exhibition, are components of Ashgabat’s cultural and political efforts to engage with Italy.
- The visit intends to add a new package of documents of bilateral cooperation between Italy and Turkmenistan across energy, transport and private-sector cooperation.
- Italy is intensifying ties with Central Asia by engaging all the local governments in economic development, cultural cooperation, and political support.
- Cultural diplomacy is being used to normalise and broaden bilateral relations: the exhibition and high-level ceremonial events reduce political friction and create business entry points for Italian firms in Turkmenistan’s energy and transport sectors.
Background Information
Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov landed in Rome on October 24, 2025, for an official visit to Italy. The visit agenda includes a meeting with Italian officials, attendance at the Turkmen–Italian Business Forum, and the opening of the “Ancient Civilisation of Turkmenistan” exhibition at the Musei Capitolini.
From October 2025 to April 2026, the exhibition will display archaeological treasures from Margiana and ancient Parthia, highlighting Turkmenistan’s historical significance in Central Asian civilization. Several bilateral agreements covering cooperation in energy, transport, culture, and private-sector development will conclude the visit, and officials expect to sign them.
Turkmenistan and Italy formally established diplomatic relations on June 9, 1992, soon after Turkmenistan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Italy was among the first European nations to open a permanent diplomatic mission in Ashgabat in 2013, reciprocated by Turkmenistan in 2017 with the inauguration of its embassy in Rome.
About forty intergovernmental documents form the legal foundation of this partnership, overseeing political, commercial, and cultural cooperation. The two governments are in constant communication via parliament and ministers, which is further supported by a cultural cooperation group, as well as regular discussions about archaeology and preserving heritage sites.
With Italy becoming more involved in Central Asia, the bilateral relationship is now more important than ever. Rome’s recent diplomatic initiatives, including the “Central Asia + Italy” summit, demonstrate a strategy aimed at connecting European and Central Asian markets through Mediterranean trade routes.
Italy’s partnership offers Turkmenistan a chance to acquire European investment, technical skills, and international recognition, going beyond its usual allies, Russia and China. The 2025 visit symbolises a broader mutual interest in consolidating diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties while positioning both states within an emerging multipolar Eurasian order.
Why Does This Matter?
The visit operates on two parallel tracks: immediate diplomatic signalling and longer-term economic positioning. From a diplomatic perspective, Turkmenistan gains considerable cultural recognition in Europe by opening a significant archaeological exhibit with the head of state present. By hosting the exhibition and high-level meetings in Rome, Italy shows its intention to be a European entry point to Central Asia, while trying not to upset other outside players. The six-month exhibition period offers repeated domestic and international engagement opportunities for Turkmen officials and for Italian cultural and academic institutions, strengthening people-to-people ties that underwrite subsequent commercial negotiations.
The visit aligns with Italy’s economic plan to increase trade with Central Asia and to use Mediterranean logistics to connect to European and African markets. Turkmenistan’s primary goal is to draw in Italian technical skills, investments, and market access within the energy, transportation, and private sectors.
The countries should assess all agreements for practicality, financial backing, and schedules, considering the limitations on Central Asian maritime access and other infrastructure projects in the region. From a geopolitical standpoint, closer ties between Turkmenistan and Italy help Europe build diverse relationships in Central Asia.
Outlook
In the short-term, the visit can produce publicity, ceremonial agreements and a small set of technical memoranda. Both sides should have preliminary teams start feasibility studies and joint working groups in the fields of energy and transport.
Should Italy and Turkmenistan transform initial agreements into workable projects, results could involve pilot logistics channels linking Turkmen commodities to Mediterranean ports, increased Italian presence in the Central Asian republic’s energy endeavours, and broadened cultural and academic exchanges.
Potential strategic risks involve opposition from regional and international actors vying for dominance in Central Asia, constraints stemming from Ashgabat’s political and regulatory framework, and potential damage to the reputation of European collaborators if they cannot meet partner standards regarding governance and human rights.
