TAPI Pipeline Progress: Taliban officials say construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline’s Herat section has hit 52% completion, with 80 km laid and Turkmenistan-backed plans aiming to finish the 130-km Herat segment by end-2026. EU-Afghanistan Coordination: EU and Central Asian special envoys met in Almaty to align on Afghanistan’s impact on regional security and to push transport and transit routes that could boost trade between Central and South Asia and Europe. Turkmenistan Science Leadership: President Serdar Berdimuhamedov was awarded the academic title of professor in economic and political sciences and elected an academician, with the state linking the move to innovation and socio-economic transformation. Turkmenistan-Austria Economic Push: Turkmenistan and Austria advanced plans via the 13th Joint Commission meeting, highlighting cooperation in energy, green economy, digitalization, AI, construction, transport, healthcare and agriculture. Border Digitalization: IOM trained Turkmenistan’s border-management partners on digital tools for integrated border management, including systems for data exchange and migration case handling. Turkmenistan-Slovakia Commission Set-Up: Turkmenistan approved the Turkmen side of a new Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation with Slovakia, covering trade, energy, construction, transport, IT, agriculture and more. SCRMET Auction Results: Turkmenistan’s State Commodity and Raw Materials Exchange reported 54 foreign-currency transactions totaling $19.507m, including LNG purchases and other goods.