TAPI Progress: Construction of the Afghanistan section of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India gas pipeline in Herat has reached 52% completion, with 80 km of pipe laid and 72.3 km transported from Turkmenistan; officials expect the 130-km Herat segment to be finished by end-2026. Trade & Commodities: At Turkmenistan’s SCRMET auctions, 54 transactions topped $19.507m as Afghanistan and Uzbekistan bought LNG, while UAE, Türkiye and others purchased wheat flour, liquorice products and cotton inputs; domestic sales totaled over 244m manat. Bilateral Economic Setup: Turkmenistan and Slovakia are moving toward deeper economic ties via a new Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation covering trade, energy, construction, transport, IT, agriculture and more. Austria Business Push: The 13th Turkmen–Austrian Joint Commission meeting in Ashgabat focused on implementing prior deals and expanding cooperation in green economy, digitalization, AI, energy, infrastructure, healthcare and agriculture. Digital Border Management: IOM trained Turkmen agencies on digital tools for integrated border management, including data exchange and migration case systems. Information Controls: A rights report says Turkmenistan is tightening digital controls, including targeting tools used to bypass online censorship. US Minerals Angle: Washington’s Central Asia critical minerals push continues after an in-person C5+1 dialogue in Astana, with Turkmenistan among the region’s resource focus. Science & Skills: Turkmenistan marked Science Day with awards and international events highlighting innovation and youth development.