Autore: Fabio Indeo
In: Asia Maior. Vol. XXVI / 2015
Abstract

As the country with the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world, Turkmenistan is aiming to diversify its energy export routes in order to enhance its strategic role as an energy supplier. In 2015, this central Asian republic paved the way for the imple-mentation of the eastward and westward export corridors, starting the completion of the TAPI pipeline and completing the national East-West gas pipeline. Even while Turkmenistan confirmed its twenty-year adherence to permanent neutra-lity in its foreign policy, in the year under review President Gurbanguly Berdimuha-medow faced growing and dangerous threats along the Turkmen-Afghan border, re-presented by potential incursions of the Afghan Taliban or other armed groups, which could affect both Turkmenistan’s national stability and its domestic security. In this situation, and considering that Turkmenistan’s armed forces may not be ready to face this challenge along the eastern border, President Berdimuhamedow, in the year un-der review, reiterated Turkmenistan’s refusal to cooperate with Russia in the Collecti-ve Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) framework. However, unconfirmed reports have suggested that Uzbek and Russian military units have already been engaged along the Turkmen-Afghan border, reinforcing Turkmenistan’s border defence capa-city. Likewise, according to some sources, military cooperation between Turkmenistan and the US appear to be in the offing.

Fabio Indeo | Hanyang University, Seoul | fabindeus@hotmail.com