Home About Us IPDS Team Advisory Board Partners Partnerships in Practice Partnership Case Studies Programs Research Fellowship — Apply International Young Diplomats School Emerging Young Women Leaders Congress International Certification Programs Islamabad Diplomacy Forum Research Live Trackers Expert Commentary Policy Analysis & Briefs Research Essays Journal of Peace and Diplomacy Books News & Updates Centres of Study Central Asia & Eurasia Women, Peace & Leadership Leadership Center SCO Studies BRI & China Studies European Studies American Studies Africa Studies ASEAN Studies Join the Scholars Network Events Register for an Event Career Support Engage with Us Commissioned Research Geopolitical Risk Analysis Media & Public Diplomacy Track II Dialogues Training & Executive Education Contact Us
Home/About IPDS/Partners/Case studies/Turkmenistan
IPDS Partnership Case Studies · No. 2

A decade with Turkmenistan: from a translation to academic agreements

IPDS’s work with Turkmenistan began in 2014 with the Urdu translation of the national poet Magtymguly. Over the next decade it grew into international conferences, two agreements with institutions in Ashgabat, a permanent reading corner and a state honour for the Institute’s President.

Dr. Farhat Asif signing agreements with Turkmen institutions, Islamabad, March 2016.
Dr. Farhat Asif signing agreements with Turkmen institutions, Islamabad, March 2016.
Period2014 to 2025
TypePartnership with an embassy and national institutions
RegionCentral Asia
StatusActive

01Context

Pakistan and Turkmenistan established diplomatic relations in 1992. Turkmenistan’s foreign policy rests on permanent neutrality, recognised by the UN General Assembly in 1995, and its cultural identity is closely tied to the eighteenth-century poet Magtymguly Pyragy.

IPDS built its partnership on these two themes, neutrality for policy discussion and Magtymguly for culture, and returned to them year after year with the Embassy and with academic counterparts in Ashgabat.

02Partners and roles

Embassy of Turkmenistan in PakistanCo-organiser of conferences, seminars, competitions and the Magtymguly Corner.
Institute of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of TurkmenistanSigned an agreement with IPDS in 2016; co-hosted the 2020 round table.
International University for Humanities and Development, AshgabatSigned an agreement with IPDS in 2016; its Rector spoke at the 2015 conference.
Allama Iqbal Open UniversityHost of the Magtymguly Corner and the 2024 conference.
National Library of Pakistan; COMSATS University; UNIC; Tabani GroupVenue and co-organisers of individual events.
The Diplomatic InsightMedia partner: special supplements on Turkmenistan and coverage of each event.

03What was done

  1. November 2014

    Launch of the Urdu translation of Magtymguly Fragi, with the Embassy. Source →

  2. February 2015

    Final of the children’s painting competition “Neutrality and Peace”, National Library of Pakistan. Source →

  3. March 2015

    International Conference on Turkmenistan’s Policy of Permanent Neutrality; the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs was chief guest. Source →

  4. 16 March 2016

    Agreements with the International University for Humanities and Development and the Institute of International Relations, signed at the Prime Minister’s House, Islamabad, during the President of Turkmenistan’s state visit. Source →

  5. December 2018

    Seminar on permanent neutrality, with the UN Information Centre. Source →

  6. October 2020

    Online round table on 25 years of neutrality, with the Institute of International Relations and COMSATS. Source →

  7. December 2020

    Essay competition “Turkmenistan, Home of Neutrality”; prizes presented at the Embassy. Source →

  8. September 2021

    The Diplomatic Insight’s special edition on 30 years of independence presented at the Institute of International Relations, Ashgabat. Source →

  9. June 2022

    Seminar “Thirty Years of Pakistan–Turkmenistan Relations: Way Forward”. Source →

  10. December 2023

    International conference “Magtymguly Fragi and Friendship of Nations in the Modern World”, with researchers from the Turkmenistan Academy of Sciences. Source →

  11. October 2024

    Magtymguly Jubilee Medal presented to Dr. Farhat Asif in Ashgabat. Source →

  12. October 2024

    Magtymguly Corner opened at Allama Iqbal Open University, followed by an international conference. Source →

  13. March 2025

    International Conference on the Role of Neutrality in Strengthening International Peace. Source →

04Outputs

1Book: the Urdu translation of Magtymguly Fragi (2014)
2Memoranda of Understanding with institutions in Ashgabat (2016)
4International conferences in Islamabad (2015, 2023, 2024, 2025)
3Seminars and round tables (2018, 2020, 2022)
2Competitions for young people: painting (2015) and essays (2020)
1Permanent reading corner: the Magtymguly Corner, AIOU (2024)

05Results

Agreements at the level of a state visit

IPDS’s two agreements with Turkmen institutions were signed on 16 March 2016 at the Prime Minister’s House, in the same ceremony as the state-level accords of the President of Turkmenistan’s visit. Dr. Farhat Asif and the two rectors signed them.

Evidence →

Senior Pakistani office-holders took part

Chief guests included the Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs (2015), a Minister of State (2022), the Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture (2023) and the Federal Secretary for National Heritage and Culture (2024).

Evidence →

Recognised in Ashgabat

In 2024 Dr. Farhat Asif was one of 20 people from abroad awarded the Magtymguly Jubilee Medal for work on the poet’s heritage.

Evidence →

A permanent place on a Pakistani campus

The Magtymguly Corner sits in AIOU’s History Museum, opened in the university’s 50th anniversary year.

Evidence →

06How the partnership works

Two themes, revisited

Neutrality and Magtymguly gave the partnership a policy track and a cultural track. Each anniversary became a reason to meet again.

From events to institutions

Early events were organised with the Embassy. By 2016 the work had counterparts in Ashgabat, and by 2024 a home on a Pakistani campus.

Young people at each stage

Painting and essay competitions brought school and university students into a relationship usually conducted between officials.

07Evidence and citation

  1. Urdu translation of Magtymguly Fragi (IPDS, 2014)
  2. Conference on permanent neutrality (IPDS, 2015)
  3. Agreements with Turkmen institutions (IPDS, 2016)
  4. Online round table (IPDS, 2020)
  5. Special edition presented in Ashgabat (The Diplomatic Insight, 2021)
  6. Thirty years of relations (IPDS, 2022)
  7. Magtymguly conference (IPDS, 2023)
  8. Magtymguly Jubilee Medal (The Diplomatic Insight, 2024)
  9. Magtymguly Corner at AIOU (The Diplomatic Insight, 2024)
  10. Neutrality conference (IPDS, 2025)
Cite this case studyInstitute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (2026). A decade with Turkmenistan: from a translation to academic agreements. IPDS Partnership Case Studies, No. 2. Islamabad: IPDS. https://ipd.org.pk/about-us/partners/case-studies/turkmenistan/ (last reviewed October 2026).
Country corners →All events with embassies →
← Case study No. 1The United Nations: an agreement that reached studentsCase study No. 3 →Vienna: three roles at a European security forum

Build the next case study with IPDS

Embassies, universities, think tanks and international organisations work with IPDS on research, dialogue, training and culture. Tell us what you have in mind.

Write to info@ipd.org.pk All case studies Partnerships in Practice

Last reviewed October 2026. Partners named in a case study can ask for corrections at info@ipd.org.pk.

The IPDS Newsletter

Research, dialogues and opportunities from IPDS

Our latest analysis, upcoming events and calls for researchers, in your inbox twice a month.

We will email you to confirm. One click unsubscribes you at any time, and we never share your address. How we use your details.