President of Turkmenistan sends a vice-premier in Dushanbe, which oversees science and education.

President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov will not take part in the summit of the CIS heads of state, which will be held on 27-28 September in Dushanbe.

This country at the summit in Dushanbe will be represented by Turkmenistan's vice-premier Purli Agamiradov, the Russian-language government newspaper “Neutral Turkmenistan” reports.

The publication notes that speaking at the meeting of the government of his country at the end of last week, the Turkmen leader noted that Ashgabat will chair the Commonwealth in 2019, in connection with which a draft concept was developed.

Then Berdimuhamedow confirmed "the unchanging adherence of neutral Turkmenistan to the traditionally friendly, fruitful cooperation in the format of the CIS that meets common interests".

The President of Turkmenistan instructed the Deputy Prime Minister, who is in charge of science, education and healthcare, to head a government delegation that will take part in the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State on September 27-28 in Dushanbe.

The reason for the cancellation of the visit to Tajikistan, where Turkmenistan was supposed to take over the chairmanship in the CIS, is not reported.

However, according to media reports, Berdimuhamedow will make a working visit to New York from September 29 to October 2 to attend the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.