Russia is prepared to support the training of a Turkmen cosmonaut if Turkmenistan expresses interest, Russian Ambassador Ivan Volynkin said on April 10 in Ashgabat.
The statement was made during a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, during which participants laid flowers at a bust of Yuri Gagarin. The remarks were reported by the Russian Embassy’s official Telegram channel.
Volynkin highlighted the achievements of Oleg Kononenko, a native of Turkmenabat in Turkmenistan, who holds the record for the longest cumulative time spent in orbit, exceeding 1,100 days. He currently heads the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.
According to the ambassador, cooperation between Russia and Turkmenistan in the space sector holds significant potential. He said Moscow is ready to collaborate with Ashgabat on satellite production and launches, navigation technologies, and joint scientific research.
The statement comes amid intensifying global competition in space, as more countries seek to expand their presence in orbit. Previous reporting has noted that major powers, including the United States, China, Russia, and European countries, are pursuing differing space strategies, while middle-income states increasingly view space as a means of economic development and technological advancement.
In Central Asia, this trend is most evident in Kazakhstan, which is developing its satellite capabilities while continuing to utilize infrastructure such as the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
