The Institute of international relations of the Ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan hosted the grand finale and awards ceremony for the winners of the large-scale «Francophonie – 2026» festival, which this year was held under the motto «On the move».
It was organised by the French institute at the Embassy of France in Turkmenistan, the Ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan and the Ministry of education of Turkmenistan with the support of the diplomatic missions of French-speaking countries: Belgium, Romania, Switzerland, Canada, as well as the embassies of Armenia, Ukraine and the EU delegation.
The event opened with welcoming remarks from Gulshat Yusupova, Rector of the Institute of international relations of the MFA of Turkmenistan, Philippe Merlin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Turkmenistan, and chief specialist of the international cooperation department of the Ministry of education of Turkmenistan Ezizmuhammet Mammedov.
As noted, the annual celebration of International Francophonie day on the 20th of March unites French-speaking people around the world and all fans of the French language. This holiday, in keeping with good tradition, is celebrated annually in Turkmenistan with a large-scale festival that helps strengthen cultural and humanitarian ties and friendly relations between the countries.
The festival program of this year included a song contest, an essay contest, and an oral spelling contest, the preliminary stages of which were held in March.
Students, schoolchildren, and students from the French institute in Turkmenistan participated in the competition, demonstrating excellent French language skills, deep knowledge of French culture and history, and exceptional creative talent and abilities.
The best contestants who successfully passed the preliminary selections received the right to perform their works on stage as part of the finals.
Following the final stage of the competition, the winners were announced and awarded diplomas and valuable gifts from the festival organisers and sponsors.
Leading international companies such as «Total Energies», «Bouygues Turkmen», «Boutique de Paris», «Eurocosmetics», «Lacoste», «La Tartine», «Swiss Best», «Alliance», «Le Travel» and «Dessange International» acted as sponsors.
The «Francophonie – 2026» and Festival has traditionally become a vibrant platform for immersing oneself in the rich world of French culture and demonstrating the enormous interest in the French language among the youth of Turkmenistan, as well as for the exchange of experiences, self-expression, and creative growth of participants.
