Tag Archives: Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Armenia support Iran

AUG. 31 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The Non-Aligned Movement has been many things in its 51-year history.

Created in the Cold War as a middle way for developing countries to avoid aligning with either the US-lead Western bloc or the Soviet-lead Eastern bloc, it has reinvented itself over the past 20 years. Now NAM, as it’s more commonly known, promotes the Developing World, is an advocate of disarmament and a critic of what it views as aggressive US foreign policy.

The 16th NAM summit (there is one every three years) also has another use for Central Asia and South Caucasus watchers. Tehran is hosting the summit and, in front of the world’s media, the Iranians have been eager to pull in as much support as possible.

According to the media 137 countries have sent delegations. Most are headed by a foreign minister but 24 presidents, three kings and eight prime ministers have apparently also turned up. And these include Turkmen President Kurbangkuly Berdymukhamedov, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon and Armenian President Serzh Saaksyan.

This is insightful. Iran has been making a concerted effort over the past few years to woo the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. It’s clear from the seniority of the NAM delegates where Iran has forged the closest bonds.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 103, published on Aug. 31 2012)

Turkmenistan introduces political party

AUG. 21 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan introduced a second political party for the first time in its 21-year post-Soviet history. The Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan is likely to officially end the one-party state after parliamentary elections in 2013. In reality, though, it will not be a genuine opposition party.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 102, published on Aug. 24 2012)

MTS returns to Turkmenistan

AUG. 20 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russian mobile phone operator, MTS, said it would resume work in Turkmenistan from the start of September. Through its local subsidiary, MTS had an 85% share of the Turkmen mobile market before the government abruptly cancelled is licence at the end of 2010.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 102, published on Aug. 24 2012)

Turkmen GDP growth increases by 11%

AUG. 6 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmenistan’s economy grew by 11% in the first seven months of the year, Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said on national television. The figures confirm the massive gas-powered growth rate of the country although it does mark a slight slowdown against the 14.4% recorded in the same period last year.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 100, published on Aug. 10 2012)

MTS’s fortunes in Uzbekistan fluctuates wildly

JULY 30 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – The fortunes of MTS, the Russian mobile operator, in Central Asia have been fluctuating wildly.

On July 26, Turkmen officials reinstated its licence, after a 19 month break. Meanwhile in neighbouring Uzbekistan, officials said they would lengthen the suspension of MTS’s mobile operator licence to 90 days (from an original 10 day suspension from July 17) while it investigates allegations of tax evasion. MTS has denied the allegations and accused Uzbekistan of trying to grab assets.

As a correspondent reports for The Conway Bulletin in the accompanying Correspondents’ Notebook, thousands of Uzbeks have queued through the heat to exchange SIM cards at MTS’s rivals.

MTS has played a patient game in Turkmenistan, where it had held an 85% market share, and got what it wanted — its licence back. Now it has to play another game in Uzbekistan.

The fallout for MTS and Uzbekistan has only just started but it’s likely to be costly for both sides. German car maker Daimler has just pulled out of a proposed joint-venture in Uzbekistan. The timing of its withdrawal could, of course, be a coincidental.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 099, published on Aug. 3 2012)

Turkmenistan to attract investors for TAPI

JULY 28 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Turkmen officials will travel to Singapore, New York and London in September and October to try and tempt potential investors into sponsoring a proposed gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India via Afghanistan and Pakistan, media reported. The estimated cost of the proposed pipeline, dubbed TAPI, is around $10b.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 099, published on Aug. 3 2012)

Siemens wins contract in Turkmenistan

JULY 24 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – Siemens, the German industrial conglomerate, has won a contract to update the Turkmen government communication systems, Turkmenistan’s state media reported. Reports did not reveal the cost of the contract. Turkmenistan, made wealthy by gas exports, has become a lucrative client for Western businesses.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 098, published on July 27 2012)

Turkmenistan to boost trade ties with Iran

JULY 17 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – At a bilateral conference in Tehran, Turkmenistan and Iran pledged to boost trade ties, media reported. In particular, Turkmenistan will deliver more gas to Iran. The two neighbours have become increasingly close over the past couple of years.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 097, published on July 20 2012)

Turkmenistan extends gas supply role

JULY 9 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – With the announcement of the TANAP pipeline, Europe is likely to settle for less ambitious volumes of gas to push through the South Caucasus and Turkey to its cities.

This has forced Turkmenistan to turn east once more for new markets for its vast gas reserves.

Turkmenistan has already carved out a niche as one of Asia’s emerging main gas suppliers. China, Iran, the Gulf states and Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have all signed deals over the past 18 months to boost gas imports from Turkmenistan.

Now Bangladesh can, almost, be added to the list. Bangladesh wants to convert the so-called TAPI pipeline into TAPIB, media reported.

The Asian Development Bank, which is funding construction of the TAPI pipeline, has said it is still waiting for a formal application from Bangladesh but if, and when, it does come, it seems like an obvious extension to an already ambitious project.

All this is likely to be music to the ears of Turkmen President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Since coming to power in 2007, he has overseen the boom in export markets for Turkmen gas.

Analysts estimate that over the next few years, Turkmenistan will produce 75b cubic metres of gas annually, nudging into the world’s top ten gas producers.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 096, published on July 13 2012)

Bread price rises in Turkmenistan

JULY 7 2012 (The Conway Bulletin) – A poor wheat harvest has forced a three-fold increase in the price of bread in Turkmenistan, one of the country’s most important staple foods, media reported. The AP news agency said wheat harvests had fallen by 25%, angering President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov who sacked the agriculture minister.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 096, published on July 13 2012)