Turkmenistan Weekly News Analysis

In 2012 Turkmenistan assumed the presidency of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the regional grouping formed in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union to promote cooperation between the former Soviet Republics. Currently CIS consists of 11 member states, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov chairs the CIS Heads of States Council and the CIS Heads of Government Council. The position gives Turkmenistan the high profile it has long sought as a regional player, as Ashgabat hosts various events including last week’s 55th Session of the CIS Economic Council which focused on issues as diverse as cooperation in the energy sector, regional security, trade policies, and humanitarian issues. It also may indicate a shift in the country’s foreign policy orientation – towards its CIS partnerships.

In line with its aspirations to become an energy giant in the CIS region, Ashgabat hosted the “Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan” (OGT) conference, bringing together representatives of oil and gas ministries, agencies, and major companies from CIS countries. Upcoming events will include an international fair of consumer goods produced by CIS members, as well as the Seventh Forum of Creative and Scientific Intelligentsia of the CIS member-states.
The Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan conference did not yield any major breakthroughs, Berdymukhamedov made assurances of Turkmenistan’s commitment to cooperation with the CIS as a priority of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy strategy. This seems to be a departure from last year’s OGT conference, which had a bit more of a European orientation, when the EU lent its support by sending German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to participate. This year, it seems to have focused exclusively on CIS partners, and none of Turkmenistan’s local media covering the event mentioned any European or US presence.

Turkmenistan’s energy strategy seems to be directed outside the CIS as well, with the September 9 TAPI road show launch in Turkmenistan to raise interest and investment in the Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India (TAPI) pipeline project. With the TAPI agreement finally put into place and signed this past May after over 20 years of painstaking negotiation between the four participating countries, this 1,800-kilometer natural gas pipeline will connect Turkmenistan’s supply with South Asian market. The road show will go to Singapore, New York, and London, the major business and financial centers of Southeast Asia, the US, and Europe. There is also some progress on Turkmenistan’s East-West pipeline, with its construction picking up speed, as reported by the Turkmen Ministry of Oil and Gas Industry and Mineral Resources on September 13. The East-West pipeline, with an estimated length of 800 to 1000 kilometers will link all external and internal pipelines in Turkmenistan in one ring.

Turkmenistan, usually restricting access to foreign journalists has permitted the Swiss National Public Television “SRF” to shoot a documentary about the country. The film will not, however, touch upon controversial issues, focusing on the history and cultural heritage of the Turkmen people, showcasing the Akhal-Teke horse, and Turkmenistan’s natural landscapes. The last time foreign filmmakers – the French TV production company Galaxie Presse – entered the country to make a documentary film, it did not end so well, leading to the imprisonment of three local journalists who served as assistants. Subsequently, one of them, Radio Liberty/ Radio Free Europe’s correspondent Ogulsapar Muradova, died in prison, while two others are reportedly still in jail, their fates unknown.

Our latest International News From Turkmenistan

Our latest Domestic News From Turkmenistan

Our latest Economic News From Turkmenistan

For breaking news see our blog Sifting the Karakum