President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe Carlos Manuel Vila Nova arrived in Turkmenistan on December 10 to take part in a number of international ceremonial events being held in Ashgabat.

The visit of the head of state is timed to important occasions — the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s declaration of permanent Neutrality, the International Day of Neutrality, as well as the Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust. The presence of Carlos Manuel Vila Nova highlights the internationally recognized authority of Turkmenistan’s peace-building policy.

At Ashgabat International Airport, the distinguished guest was welcomed by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Mammetkhan Chakiyev. It should be noted that this is not the President of São Tomé and Príncipe’s first visit to the country: in August 2025, he had already taken part in the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC3), which was held in the national tourist zone “Avaza” on the Caspian Sea coast.

Source: Turkmenistan International Information Center