Tag Archives: Turkmenistan

Turkmen gas to Iran will rise

SEPT. 30 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Despite statements earlier this year to the contrary, Iran will increase gas exports from Turkmenistan to make up for a shortfall in its own production.

Reuters quoted the Shana Iranian news agency as quoting Hamid-Reza Araqi, Iran’s oil minister, as saying, that imports would rise in accordance to a long term contract between the two countries.

“Iran has a long-term contract with Turkmenistan, based on which the volume of gas exports increases,” he said.

Western sanctions aims at hampering Iran’s alleged development of its nuclear weapons programme have also slowed its gas production, mainly based in the south of the country. And so it has looked to neighbouring Turkmenistan to make up the shortfall. Over the past few years, Turkmenistan has supplied 90% of Iran’s gas imports.

News that Turkmenistan will further increase its gas exports to Iran will again cement its position as one of the region’s leading gas suppliers.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 202, published on Oct. 1 2014)

Turkmenistan underlines neutrality

SEPT. 24 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – n a speech to the UN, Turkmen foreign minister Rashid Meredov underlined Turkmenistan’s neutrality. This is important in regards to Afghanistan where reports have surfaced saying that Turkmen forces have crossed over the border to build defence positions against Taliban incursions.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 202, published on Oct. 1 2014)

Rising Turkmen oil exports via BTC

SEPT. 19 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan increased oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline by 70% in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period in 2013, media quoted the national statistics agency as saying. BTC pumps oil from the Caspian Sea to Turkey and then on to Europe.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 201, published on Sept. 24 2014)

Turkmenistan increases oil production

SEPT. 17 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan increased its oil products production by nearly 2% in the first half of the year, media reported quoting official statistics. Although a marginal increase it is important because Central Asia is experience a general shortage of oil products.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 201, published on Sept. 24 2014)

Turkmen forces take up positions in Afghanistan

SEPT. 18 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen forces have crossed into Afghanistan and built up defensive positions to stop Taliban forces raiding across its border, the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and other media have reported.

Taliban forces have attacked several Turkmen military outposts this year, killing soldiers. Turkmenistan’s defence minister has flown to Kabul for talks with his Afghan opposite number on the situation but the attacks have continued. Any troop movement over the border is likely to be a response to these attacks.

“The Turkmenistanis came here, dug trenches, set up wire fences,” one resident told RFE/RL according to the Eurasianet website.

“No one asked them what they were doing here. The trenches they dug are 4m wide and 5m deep. Besides that, in the same place they are paving a road.”

Importantly, eyewitnesses didn’t distinguish whether the apparent Turkmen forces which have crossed the border are official military or one of the numerous militia forces that populate the border zones.

The troop movement hasn’t been confirmed by either Turkmenistan or Afghanistan.

Central Asian countries have said that they are increasingly worried about the march northward of the Taliban after the withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan this year.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 201, published on Sept. 24 2014)

Turkmen GDP still growing

SEPT. 13 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Central Banks of Central Asia have been warning of slowing economic growth because of the impact of sanctions on Russia.

Remittances from workers living in Russia are falling, manufacturing imports from Russia have dropped and Russian petrol supplies have reduced, driving up overall inflation.

There is no panic, yet, but there is a lot of great concern.

Except in Turkmenistan. Its economy has virtually decoupled itself from Russia. A row over gas prices forced Turkmenistan to look for new clients several years ago. Now China it its major client.

Russia is still a client, as well as a handful of other countries, but China holds most sway.

Turkmenistan underlined its different trajectory when it announced that GDP between January and July in 2014 had risen by 10.3%, one of the fastest growth rates in the world. For now, at least, China appears to be good partner, especially compared to Russia.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Turkmenistan names envoy to Bishkek

SEPT. 15 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan named its first ambassador to Kyrgyzstan as Batyr Niyazliev, media reported. Under president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Turkmenistan has adopted a more open international outlook.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.17 2014)

Iran and Turkmenistan to boost defence cooperation

SEPT. 15 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – At a meeting in Ashgabat, the Turkmen and Iranian defence ministers, declared that they would boost cooperation between the two countries. Perhaps most important when considering Turkmenistan-Iran military cooperation is the issue of the Caspian Sea which they border.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 200, published on Sept.16 2014)

Turkmenistan purchased sniper rifles

SEPT. 10 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – South African parliamentarians have questioned why its government sold 50 sniper rifles to Turkmenistan earlier this year, media reported. Democratic Alliance MP David Maynier reportedly quoted from a Human Rights Watch report calling Turkmenistan one of the most repressive countries in the world.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 199, published on Sept. 10 2014)

Iran reduces Turkmen gas imports

SEPT. 7 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Highlighting its break from Turkmen gas imports, Iran opened what it said was the largest liquefied natural gas storage depot in the world in the north of the country. Iran has said that it wants to reduce expensive gas imports from Turkmenistan, which has propelled itself into the top tier of world gas producers.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 199, published on Sept. 10 2014)