Turkmenistan at the Bottom of Index of Economic Freedom
The Wall Street Journal and the US-based The Heritage Foundation, in their annual Index of Economic Freedom placed Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan at 162 and 169 respectively among the countries ranked as “repressed.” Rankings are based on four main criteria: trade freedom, business freedom, investment freedom, and property rights.
Turkmenistan has big plans for its tourism industry in 2013, seeking to become a destination vacation spot. This year will see the construction of new hotels, campgrounds, resorts, and development of the Avaza resort on the Caspian coast.
Turkmenistan celebrated the New Year with typical pomp and circumstance: a 37-meter high tree – approximately the height of a 10-story building – stood in Ashgabat’s main square, topped with an eight-pointed star with a "2013" sign on it.
Turkmen President Pardoned Prisoners in Connection with Neutrality Day
Berdymukhamedov signed the decree “On pardoning of prisoners on the occasion of the national holiday of Turkmenistan - Neutrality Day.” The names or numbers of the pardoned are not reported anywhere.
Source: Turkmenistan.ru
