Bruce Pannier Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 9, 2021 Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov just visited Uzbekistan for talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev and, even though the two leaders have met several times recently, it was important for them — and only them — to sit down to discuss the number one topic in the
Bruce Pannier Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 18, 2021 The events that the governments of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have been increasingly dreading in recent weeks have begun to happen. The Afghan government has fallen to the Taliban and despite the Central Asian governments having had years to contemplate and plan for such an occurrence,
RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service July 11, 2021 Turkmenistan has begun moving heavy weaponry, helicopters, and other aircraft closer to its border with Afghanistan, and reservists are being put on alert in the capital, a further sign of the worry spreading across Central Asia as Taliban fighters continue major offensives. A senior official at a Turkmen security
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty June 25, 2021 By Bruce Pannier For any Central Asia governments that thought they had time to consider their policies toward Afghanistan while the last foreign troops are withdrawing from the country, the clock already seems to have run out. Few could have foreseen the rapid advances Taliban fighters have made in
Bruce Pannier Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 24, 2021 Some recent media reports suggest the U.S. military will seek to reposition some of its troops in Central Asia after its big decision to withdraw from Afghanistan after nearly two decades in the country. The New York Times reported on April 15 that U.S. officials had been
February 7, 2021 By RFE/RL’s Turkmen Service A delegation of the Afghan Taliban has visited Turkmenistan for talks with the Turkmen Foreign Ministry focusing in part on security issues surrounding the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural-gas pipeline project. Ashgabat announced the visit on February 6, saying the Taliban delegation was headed by Mullah Abdul Gani Baradar. Turkmen Deputy
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty February 21, 2019 Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani have signed an agreement on a strategic partnership between their countries. Turkmenistan’s State Information Agency said the two leaders signed the document in Ashgabat on February 21 after discussing bilateral trade, energy, and cultural ties. Berdymukhammedov reportedly said Turkmenistan
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 9, 2018 Gas-rich Turkmenistan has inaugurated a refurbished and expanded Soviet-era power plant that it hopes will help it boost exports to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on September 8 attended ceremonies for the opening of the $1.2 billion electricity plant near the Central Asian’s southeastern region of
Hasib Danish Alikozai VOA News February 24, 2018 WASHINGTON — As leaders and representatives of countries involved in the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline celebrated the project’s inauguration, Afghan Taliban, in a rare announcement, vowed to support and protect the pipeline in areas under its control. In a statement emailed to media outlets,