In a fairly quiet news week one thing to note is that last week Turkmen president, Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, sacked a border officer for drug realated offences. According to BBC monitoring, and reported on state TV, the president issued a resolution sacking the official due to the:
fact that a number of border guards […]
Today is the third anniversary of the alleged assassination attempt on President Saparmurat Niyazov. Immediately after the alleged attack, which took place at 7 a.m. as Niyazov drove to work, the names of the conspirators were given as former foreign minister Boris Shikhmuradov, former ambassador to Turkey, Nurmuhammaed Hanamov, former Central Bank chairman Khudaiberdy […]
Relations persist in souring between Ashgabat and Kiev with AeroSvit Ukrainian Airlines’ suspension of flights to Turkmenistan. Reasons cited for this announcement, according to a Gundogar report, are the restrictions being placed on the Ukrainian company’s activities by Turkmen authorities:
“In March 2005, the Turkmen side stopped the conversion of manats [Turkmen national currency] […]
Not content with demanding alleged unpaid debts payments from Ukraine, the Turkmens have really stuck their neck out by calling on Russia to honour old dues to the order of $108 million. Unlike the Ukrainian debt the money owed in this instance dated back to funds deposited at Vneshekonombank in 1993, according to comments […]
As the gas saga rolls on, I have decided to outsource commentary on the subject to an article appearing in today’s Russian daily Vremya Novostei. The translation is mine, though bear in mind it was hastily done, so please forgive me any sloppiness:
Turkmen Recidivism
By Alexei Grivach
Yet again Saparmurat Niyazov has decided to hike gas […]
More news is emerging of a catastrophic bread shortage plaguing numerous regions around Turkmenistan. This obviously comes as a surprise after the bumper grain harvest that had been announced earlier this year. Optimism was riding so high that in October this year President Saparmurat Niyazov could venture that not only would no grain be […]
And it just goes from the sublime to the ridiculous in Turkmenistan’s cold war with Ukraine over gas. Once again, Ukrainian First Deputy Fuel and Energy Minister and Naftohaz Ukrayiny CEO
Oleksiy Ivchenko has accused Turkmenistan of failing to live up to their gas supply obligations. As he told journalists in Paris on 16 November:
“Yesterday, […]
In another denial the foreign ministry has also rubbished reports by Russia’s Interfax and the British Newspaper The Independent of the existence of a group active in Turkmenistan called The Islamic Movement of Turkmenistan. The article in the Independent made reference to the group in relation to the trial of 15 people in Uzbekistan […]
The Turkmen Government has refuted reports from media outlets that Russian Gazprom had bought the rights to all Turkmen gas. A press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated:
Lately, media outlets of some countries have been disseminating reports to the effect that Russian Gazprom company is purchasing all natural gas Turkmenistan extracts. […]
The new health legislation passed at the recent Khalk Maslahaty session appears to have provoked some hilarity as a result of another incorporation of the Rukhnama into Turkmenistan’s legal code.
The oath in full is the following (in clumsy translation):
“Having received the high rank of doctor and starting on my professional career, I solemnly swear:
- […]
