TAPI Pipeline Progress: Taliban officials say construction of the Afghanistan section of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India gas pipeline in Herat has hit 52% completion, with 80 km of pipe laid and 72.3 km of materials transported from Turkmenistan; authorities expect the 130-km Herat segment to be finished by end-2026, then move to the next phase. Energy Diplomacy: Turkmenistan and Austria held their 13th Joint Economic Commission meeting in Ashgabat, reviewing implementation of prior deals and discussing expansion into innovative industrial technologies, energy, environmental and waste projects, construction/transport, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, plus agriculture and processing. Oil & Gas Contracts: Turkmenistan’s President signed resolutions authorizing state concerns Türkmengaz and Türkmennebit to contract Chinese suppliers for steel pipes and casing/drill pipes needed for oil and gas operations. Science & Industry Skills: Turkmenistan marked Science Day with an international conference and state recognition of scientific leadership, including President Serdar Berdimuhamedov being awarded academic titles in economics and political sciences and election as an academician—signals aimed at boosting innovation and industry-linked research. Critical Minerals Push: The U.S. held its first in-person C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue in Astana, pressing for Central Asia critical-minerals cooperation and supply-chain security, with a focus on moving from extraction to processing and industrial value creation.