TAPI Pipeline Update: Construction on the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline’s Herat section has hit 52% completion, with 80 km of pipe installed and 72.3 km of additional pipeline delivered to the site; Turkmen officials reportedly assured completion of the 130-km Herat segment by end-2026. Water & Land Cooperation: The GEF launched the Central Asia Water and Land Nexus (CAWLN) program in Uzbekistan, bringing Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan into a coordinated push to manage shrinking rivers and degraded land affecting about 60 million people. Transport Connectivity Talks: Mongolia met Tajik and Turkmen transport officials to expand cooperation across rail, civil aviation and road links, including plans to build new Eurasian transport flows. Turkmen–Georgia Trade Talks: Ashgabat and Tbilisi discussed boosting trade turnover, investment and business-to-business contacts, stressing the need to strengthen the legal framework. US–Turkmen Engagement: US Deputy Secretary of State Sarah Rogers visited Ashgabat, meeting FM Rashid Meredov and focusing on education, science, culture and digitalization cooperation. IMF Consultations: An IMF Article IV mission met Turkmen officials to review macroeconomic policy, financial-system strengthening, export-route diversification and WTO accession work. Textile Industry Link: Italian textile machinery firms showcased technology at Turkmenistan’s Türkmentextile Expo 2026, targeting demand for higher value-added textile production. Regional Trade Facilitation: A WCO-JICA program wrapped up in Central Asia and the Caucasus, training risk-management “master trainers” and producing recommendations to speed connectivity along the Middle Corridor/Trans-Caspian route. Activist Sentencing: Turkmen activist Saddam Gulamov, extradited from Russia, was sentenced to five years in prison, according to reporting citing Russian legal documents.