Travel: Turkmenistan joins European vacation tour lineup
Heading out to Europe this year, plenty of folks will be passing through Turkmenistan according to Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.
Recently, Meredov took a tour that took him to Belgium and Italy, where he met with important EU bigwigs in Brussels. These talks resulted in the signing of a protocol to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Turkmenistan and the EU. The EU called this a "significant milestone."
Back home in Ashgabat, Meredov filled President Serdar Berdymukhamedov in on plans for EU representatives to visit Turkmenistan frequently this year. One main goal of these dialogues is creating a framework agreement on energy cooperation, a necessary step before any long-term natural gas delivery deals.
However, it's not just energy that's in focus. During a Brussels roundtable on private sector partnerships between Turkmenistan and the EU, Meredov highlighted the nation's interest in European expertise and investment for developing hydrogen energy potential, reducing methane emissions, and processing natural gas for wider marketability.
Gregory Lecomte, head of the Central Asia unit at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, complimented Turkmenistan on its efforts to improve access to information on the legislative framework for investment.
Investors, though, have expressed concerns about the justice system. When things go south with contracts, foreign companies have limited legal recourse within Turkmenistan. Lecomte suggested the government work on building a stronger and efficient judiciary to handle dispute resolution for foreign investors.
A possible outcome may be Turkmenistan creating a legal framework similar to the Astana International Financial Center court in Kazakhstan.
While regular Turkmen citizens continue to cope with basic injustices, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom called attention to the Turkmen government trampling on the rights of Muslims, specifically those not following the state's preferred interpretation of Islam, during the holy month of Ramadan.
Schools and higher institutions forced pupils to drink water, preventing them from fasting, while management at state bodies in the Lebap province encouraged staff to fast as an example set by former President Berdymukhamedov (the current president's father). Meanwhile, police in the Mary province reportedly confiscated liquor at the start of Ramadan, presumably holding onto it for later.
Meredov's European tour continued in Rome, where he signed a memorandum of cooperation between the ports of Turkmenbashi and Naples. While the specifics of this cooperation remained unclear, it is believed that management at the Turkmenbashi port—designed to handle up to 17 million tons of cargo per year—is eager for the expertise offered by Naples, which handled 31 tons last year.
Boosters of the Middle Corridor route are keen to expand capacity everywhere possible, and Turkmenbashi—currently only operating at a fraction of its potential—seems a logical choice. The potential was demonstrated by a train carrying copper concentrate from eastern Uzbekistan to Burgas, Bulgaria, via Turkmenbashi, in December 2022.
March 20 saw farmers in four of Turkmenistan's five provinces assemble for the start of the cotton-sowing season, with the final province starting on March 27. This year, 600,000 hectares have been allocated for cotton cultivation, a slight increase from last year's 580,000 hectares. While the government has been quiet on the subject, it seems last year’s cotton harvest may not have been successful, leading to issues at factories like the Bayramaly oil-manufacturing plant in Mary province, which had to lay off 70 employees.
Meanwhile, Berdymukhamedov the elder—the National Leader and de facto co-president—is focusing on other matters. On March 23, he inspected his pet project, the new city of Arkadag, named in his honor. His attention-to-detail was evident as he checked the appearance of lampposts, gazebos, and window frames to ensure they met his standards. Aerial shots of the city, inaugurated in June 2023, showed it entirely empty.
The European Union welcomed the protocol signed by Foreign Minister Meredov, marking a significant milestone in education and business cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU. In the realm of fashion and sports, discussions on collaborative efforts to develop hydrogen energy potential and reduce methane emissions were highlighted during a Brussels roundtable. However, concerns about the justice system and its impact on foreign investors persist.
