KAZAN, May 14. /TASS/. The Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, has proposed an initiative to start a large-scale program he called "Islamic Poetic Dialogue: Wisdom and the Connection of Centuries," the first step of which will be to create a global anthology of Islamic poetry, at a meeting of the Ministers of Culture of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in Kazan as part of the international economic forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum."
"The goal of the project is a broad, systematic familiarization of the public in our and other countries with the best works of Islamic poetic and philosophical heritage from antiquity to the modern world. <…> As a first step, I propose we think about creating a world anthology of Islamic poetry, which would include works by outstanding poets, thinkers, and philosophers of the Muslim world, as well as those authors who feel a connection to Islam, to the Islamic cultural code and worldview," Berdimuhamedov said.
He also noted that in March 2026, Turkmenistan sent an official letter requesting observer status in the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO). "We see joining the activities of this important international structure as a significant step in the development of Turkmenistan’s international cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture," he emphasized.
Furthermore, Berdimuhamedov proposed developing a long-term ICESCO strategy for preserving and enriching the cultural and historical heritage of Islamic countries, focusing on its active promotion through literature, cinema, virtual museums, galleries, and other internet platforms. The third initiative of Turkmenistan voiced at the meeting is the diplomacy of "smart cities" of the Islamic world. Berdimuhamedov proposed establishing a partnership mechanism for exchanging experience, knowledge, and plans among Islamic countries in this direction.
The 17th International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum" is taking place from May 12 to 17. TASS is the general information partner of the forum.