13.10.2021

Akhal-Teke

Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing: Berdymukhamedov goes traveling and lectures the WHO, while YouTube bows to Turkmen censors and takes down Eurasianet’s channel.

Turkmenistan’s president has rediscovered the itch for travel.

Last week, he popped over to neighboring Uzbekistan for a two-day official visit intended, as the official state chronicle had it, “to underline the active dynamics of Turkmen-Uzbek interaction.” In plainer terms, the two countries are exploring ways to boost mutual trade and leverage one another for access to the global market.

On the former point, President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and his Uzbek counterpart, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, agreed notionally to increase annual bilateral trade to USD… >> подробнее

13.10.2021

EurasiaNet

That sets them apart from Afghanistan’s other post-Soviet neighbor, Tajikistan

Neighboring Afghanistan topped the agenda as the leaders of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan met in Tashkent this week and cemented their shared position on the need for engagement with the Taliban government.

That marks these two countries out from Afghanistan’s other Central Asian neighbor, Tajikistan, which has given the Taliban* a frosty reception.

“Cooperation by Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the Afghan direction can only bring great advantage in the business of normalizing the political situation in that country, restoring the economy and the social sphere, and broadly involving [Afghanistan] in the system of regional and global economic connections,” Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan’s president, said on October 5, the first day of his two-day… >> подробнее

12.10.2021

Akhal-Teke

In our weekly briefing: doing business with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Plus, it’s reprimand season.

The moment always comes after the excitement of the holidays to return to the regular everyday slog.

And so, with 30th independence anniversary celebrations done and dusted, Turkmenistan’s president has resumed one of his most routine activities: reshuffling and reprimanding minions.

On October 4, it was the turn of Justice Minister Begmurat Mukhamedov to get the push, albeit not over any shortcomings, which is usually why cabinet members lose their jobs, but because he is being moved to the Foreign Ministry. He had been in the job since February 2017. He will be replaced… >> подробнее