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A new thread for a country that is home to some of the largest gas reserves on the planet.

PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THREATENS TO OVERWHELM TURKMENISTAN

Turkmenistan is vulnerable to a "grave" public health crisis, thanks in large part to the totalitarian practices of President Saparmurat Niyazov’s regime, according to a recently published report. Since 1991, the Turkmen government has made drastic cutbacks in the healthcare system, while discouraging the compilation and distribution of data that could help contain the spread of deadly diseases. The report says "prompt" international action could mitigate the brewing public health crisis.

India considering joining gas project from Turkmenistan

India and Pakistan are set to cooperate in the gas pipeline project from Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

This was said to the press yesterday by India's visiting Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar in Islamabad.

'The Hindu' reporting this morning informed, the Indian minister met his Pakistani counterpart Amanullah Khan Jadoon and said that a 'joint communique' outlining the future in "energy cooperation" would be issued at the end of his four-day visit.

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UKRAINIAN-TURKMEN GAS AGREEMENT BRINGS RADICAL CHANGE

On June 24 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov and Naftohaz Ukrainy chairman Oleksiy Ivchenko signed a contract radically changing the modalities of the gas trade between the two countries. It involves a staggering volume of Turkmen gas, at deeply discounted prices, to be paid by Ukraine in hard currency. Moreover, it implicitly terminates the practice of Russia's Gazprom to appoint a middleman company as operator of the transit of Turkmen gas via Russia

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TURKMENISTAN BASE RUMOR LIKELY PART OF A RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN

Russian media outlets continue to publish articles claiming that the United States may establish a military base in Turkmenistan. The circumstances surrounding the media reports suggest that Russia is carrying out a disinformation campaign designed to exert pressure on Turkmenistan to adhere to Moscow’s geopolitical line in Central Asia.

The Russian media reports about the possible US base in Turkmenistan began to surface in late August, following Turkmenistan’s decision to de-emphasize its membership in the Commonwealth of Independent States. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Helping to stoke the base rumors was an August 23 visit by US Gen. John Abizaid, chief of the US Central Command (CENTCOM), to Ashgabat.

Activists urge U.S. to take tougher stance on religious rights abuses in Turkmenistan

Leading international human rights groups want the U.S. government to take a tougher stance against abuses of religious freedom in Turkmenistan and warned American officials against forging strategic ties with the oil-rich Central Asian nation.

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Human Rights Watch and nine other organizations accused the Turkmen government of persecuting minority religions with police raids on prayer meetings, arbitrary arrests and beatings.

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Turkmenistan to Modernize Electricity Sector

The Ministry of Energy and Industry of Turkmenistan has developed a plan for the development of the country’s fuel and energy sector through 2020.
Priority tasks of the plan include the construction of 500-kV electricity transmission lines connecting the main cities of Turkmen provinces with the capital, Ashgabat, and exporting Turkmen electric energy to Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Pakistan.

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Turkmen Leader Demands Ukraine Pay for Gas

Turkmenistan's president told Ukrainian officials Wednesday that their country must pay for nearly half a billion dollars (euros) worth of natural gas, criticizing them in comments shown on state-run television.

President Saparmurat Niyazov told Ukraine's fuel and energy minister and the head of its national oil and gas company that Ukraine has made good on only US$8.7 million (euro7.25 million) out of US$484 million (euro403 million) it is to pay through barter for gas supplied during the first half of 2005.

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Turkmenistan Sends Ukraine to Gazprom

Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov made a decisive step in the tripartite Russian-Ukrainian-Turkmen relations in the gas industry yesterday by destroying Ukraine’s last hope to buy the gas bypassing Gazprom. He said a long-term agreement on the Turkmen supplies can be signed only if Russia agrees. Gazprom supposes that there will be no negotiations on the issue because the company has already contracted for the Turkmen gas for 25 years.

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Country profile: Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan is made up mainly of desert and has the smallest population of the five former Soviet republics in Central Asia.

It possesses the world's fifth largest reserves of natural gas, and has substantial deposits of oil.

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Ukrainian Prime Minister to "sort things out" with Turkmenistan

After blaming chief executives of Neftegaz Ukrainy for problems with payment for Turkmenistan's gas deliveries to Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuri Yekhanurov, has said he will "sort out" the debt of around $470 million dollars, owed to Turkmenistan.

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Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan Criticized Over Displaced People

The Geneva-based Global IDP Project says the internally displaced people of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan continue to be denied basic rights and assistance after having been forcibly relocated by their governments.

The Global IDP Project, established by the Norwegian Refugee Council, is an international organization monitoring internal displacement worldwide.

In two reports released today, the project said the governments of both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have used forced displacement as a means of controlling their citizens and maintaining a grip on society.

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India, Turkmenistan for Closer Cooperation in Energy, Industry

Rajiv Sikri, foreign secretary of India, held a number of high level meetings Monday in Ashgabat. The talks revolved around closer cooperation in energy and industry.

In separate meetings at the foreign ministry and cabinet of ministers of Turkmenistan, Sikri discussed a wide range of topics.

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Turkmenistan set to increase prices of natural gas for Russia

Turkmenistan is ready to start negotiations in 2006 to increase the price of natural gas supplied to Russia from $44 to $50 per thousand cubic meters, Turkmen President Sapamurat Niyazov said Thursday.

"At present, we supply natural gas to Russia for $44 per thousand cubic meters and we are going to do so in the future," he said during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the capital of Turkmenistan. "But the prices are increasing and we have an agreement on supplies for the next 25 years with the current annual supply rate of 5 billion cu m."

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Turkmenistan Lukewarm about Long-Term Gas Deal with Ukraine

Ukraine may not be able to sign a long-term gas purchase deal with Turkmenistan in the foreseeable future, it appeared Thursday during a meeting between the Turkmen president and Russian foreign minister.

It was expected earlier that Ukraine and Turkmenistan may sign a long-term supply agreement during the forthcoming visit of Ukrainian PM to Ashgabat on 26 Oct. However, after Thursday’s meeting, it is clear that Turkmenistan has its reservations about the Ukrainian deal. This was the second time in a week that Turkmenistan insisted on including Russia in the deal.

New Level of Understanding in Russia-Turkmenistan Relations

The exchange of comments during the meeting Thursday between President Niyazov of Turkmenistan and Sergey Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia, showed that both sides have reached a new level of mutual understanding. The sides seemed to have a fresh look at the past and put the whole spectrum of bilateral relations in a revised perspective.

Lavrov arrived for a 2-days visit to Ashgabat and had about an hour of tête-à-tête with Niyazov. Later, the sides moved to the conference room to continue talks in expanded format.

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Russia and Turkmenistan to sign four inter-governmental agreements

On October 20-21, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov visited Turkmenistan. As a REGNUM correspondent was informed in the Russian Ministryy of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov met president of Turkmenistan Saparmurat Niyazov.

Main subject of the discussion were the relations between Turkmenistan and Russia. The participants discussed perspectives of improvement of trade, economical, investment and power engineering spheres of relations. Both sides stressed the importance of joint measures in these improvements to create stable economical bonds between the countries and more effective use of the great potential of both countries.

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Turkmenistan joins Interpol

Egomaniacal dictators worldwide have another reason to rejoice -- and to snicker at any democratic leader who touts human rights as a prerequisite for global acceptance.

Last month, the General Assembly of the mysterious International Criminal Police Organization -- better known as Interpol -- voted unanimously to admit its 184th member, the Central Asian state of Turkmenistan.

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Turkmenistan to Elect New President in 2009

Turkmen voters will go to the polls to elect a new leader in 2009, Saparmurat Niyazov who has ruled the Central Asian republic since 1985, said Monday.

“In 2009, we will hold the elections for another president,” Niyazov told a session of the People’s Assembly in Ashgabat, the Interfax news agency reported.

India may revive interest in Turkmenistan gas

An Indian mission recently visited Turkmenistan to tap avenues of closer cooperation in energy and industry sectors.

Led by Rajiv Sikri, secretary (East), ministry of external affairs, the delegation held a number of high level meetings in Ashgabat. In separate meetings between the foreign ministry and cabinet of ministers of Turkmenistan, Mr Sikri discussed a wide range of topics. It is understood that negotiations were focused on the areas of common interest such as oil and gas, fuel and energy sectors, transportation, textile industry, agriculture, science, education, culture and healthcare.

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Legislation for Presidential Elections in Turkmenistan Postponed, KM Opens

As soon as the 16th session of Khalk Maslehaty (Peoples Council) – KM – started Monday morning in Ashgabat, the delegates aimed straight at point 9 of the agenda and pushed relentlessly for its removal from the table.

When sufficient delegates from a ‘proper’ cross-section of the society had opposed point 9, the motion was put to the floor and the delegates, by show of hands, voted unanimously for removal of the contested legislation from the agenda. The rest was smooth sailing and quick work.

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Turkmenistan Parliament Rejects a Presidential Election

Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan's autocratic leader, was rebuffed by his usually compliant Parliament in his request to hold an election for president in 2009.

Saying "there is nothing eternal," Mr. Niyazov, 65, said his successor could be "raised" in the intervening years, according to Interfax.

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Russian Parliamentarian Praises Progress in Turkmenistan

Vladimir Zhirinovsky, deputy chairman of the federal assembly of the Russian parliament, exchanged views Wednesday with President Niyazov of Turkmenistan. After the meeting he was fully convinced that Turkmenistan was following a progressive path to development and there were several areas where he felt compelled to praise the forward-looking model of Turkmenistan.

Zhirinovsky is leading a delegation of the Russian parliament that has arrived Ashgabat to participate in the independence day celebrations of Turkmenistan.

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Turkmenistan, Ukraine Reach Understanding on Debt Clearance

Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov of Ukraine said Thursday in Ashgabat that Ukraine and Turkmenistan had reached clear understanding on clearance of debts.

Yekhanurov, who was on 2-days visit to Ashgabat, had his second meeting Thursday morning with President Niyazov.

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Turkmenistan offers oil search rights

Turkmenistan will offer foreign investors rights to explore the deep shelf of its sector of the Caspian Sea, as the country struggles to pump more oil.
The exploration and development of the Caspian shelf is “the urgent goal”, Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov, said in a statement posted on the state-owned news service’s website