According to an Interfax report, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Julie Finley was in Ashgabat for talks on May 4 with a number of Turkmen officials to discuss deepening collaboration with Turkmenistan in the area of human rights, border security and energy.
The website of the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat gave details of how Finley met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov, Minister of Justice Ashyrgeldi Gulgarayev, scholars of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, and officials of the Council for Religious Affairs under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. According to the press release:

“[Finley] raised the U.S. Government’s strong support for human rights and its desire for enhanced educational opportunities in Turkmenistan, as well as regional cooperation in border security and energy. Ambassador Finley met with nongovernmental groups and alumni of U.S. Government exchange programs to discuss their ideas and projects for the role of civil society in Turkmenistan.”

On the same day as Finley’s official visit, state newspaper Neutralniy Turkmenistan featured an article outlining details about preparations for the forthcoming elections of the Gengesh and Khalk Maslahaty in the Lebap Velyat.
In a commentary piece by Arslan Mamedov on the Gudogar website, it is noted that a noteworthy feature of the planned elections will be the introduction of clear ballot boxes, which constitutes a novelty in Turkmenistan. Mamedov derides the possibility that any elections in Turkmenistan could be as transparent as the Neutralniy Turkmenistan newspaper article suggests, but in his concluding remarks he directs his discontent at the West:

“Unfortunately, events in Turkmenistan don’t bother many people around the world, unless the news has something to do with energy resources, their cost and where they are being delivered.
The elections in Belarus were a big story. Over 30 Belarusian officials, including Lukashenko, have been barred from entering the European Union after their interference in the recent presidential elections. The United States and the EU described Lukashenko’s victory as a falsification and officially refused to recognise its legitimacy. Meanwhile, the legitimacy of Niyazov, who designated himself president for life, does not seem to raise any doubts among the Americans and Europeans.
Can it really be possible that Niyazov’s ballot boxes are more transparent than those in Belarus?”