May has come and reminded me about the pre-Caspian gas pipeline project. A year ago, on May 12, in Turkmenbashi town a declaration on the pre-Caspian project was signed. The document endorsed by presidents of Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan assumed a construction of the pre-Caspian gas pipeline (to run along the Caspian Sea coastline […]

President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has decided to take another step to undo his predecessor’s personality cult. At the expanded government meeting on May 2, it was decided
to relocate the Neutrality Arch to the southern area of Ashgabat. It was noted that it would be expedient to locate this monument in the southern part of Ashgabat […]

Political power in Turkmenistan is concentrated in the hands of the president; the names of other Turkmen politicians rarely appear in the press releases concerning the most important events in the country. However, this does not mean that officials from Berdymukhammedov’s inner circle have no influence over the state policy. Let us take a closer […]

It looks like the gas conflict between Turkmenistan and Iran which lasted for over 3 months is drawing to an end. The Reuters Agency informed on April 19 that Tehran is ready to pay a higher price for the Turkmen gas.
If Turkmenistan wants a logical increase in the price of gas it is okay […]

Information about the Turkmen democratic opposition, whose leaders live in the West, appear very rarely these days. The oppositionists’ activity has risen following Saparmurat Niyazov’s death, as they expected the new government to commence at least a basic dialogue. They also hoped for internal reforms to be launched in Turkmenistan, but their hopes very […]

This is the translation of Abdulgamid’s post from the Russian-language part of the blog

Earlier the Soviet newspapers used to publish news saying: “The mutual co-operation growth horizons are expanding and broadening for the good of world, progress and prosperity!” Now the outlines of another major project for Turkmen gas export become more and […]

The Izvestiya daily reported on December 9 quoting the Itar Tass press agency that the EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner had said in a telephone conversation with the Austrian media that president Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov supported the construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline. He had reportedly stated in an […]

On March 11 British The Independent daily published an article on how the Afghan police failed to arrest general Abdul Rashid Dostum, one of the famed Afghan warlords, who is currently Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Afghan National Army.
A police attempt to arrest the warlord at his home in Kabul’s […]

On 11 March Gazprom website published the following information:
The Gazprom Headquarters today hosted a working meeting of Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Management Committee of Gazprom, Uzakbai Karabalin, President of KazMunaiGaz, Nurmmukhamad Akhmedov, Chairman of the Management Committee of Uzbekneftegaz and Yagshigeldy Kakaev, Chairman of Turkmengaz. The meeting addressed the outlook for cooperation in […]

On March 10, Tashkent froze in expectation of a very important guest. The fergana.ru website had earlier informed:

… preparations for the welcoming ceremony of the prominent guest and rehearsals of the passage of the accompanying motorcade began almost a week before the delegation’s arrival.
The evening silence is often broken by motorbikes and limousines hurtling along […]