Turkmenistan - The Times Of Central Asia

Viewing results 1 - 6 of 962

Podcast

Pannier and Hillard’s Spotlight on Central Asia: New Episode Coming Sunday

As Managing Editor of The Times of Central Asia, I’m delighted that, in partnership with the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, we are the home of the Spotlight on Central Asia podcast. Chaired by seasoned broadcasters Bruce Pannier of RFE/RL’s long-running Majlis podcast and Michael Hillard of The Red Line, each fortnightly instalment will take you on a deep dive into the latest news, developments, security issues, and social trends across an increasingly pivotal region. This week, the team looks at the role of clusters in Uzbekistan's farming sector, which is key to understanding what Mirziyoyev's comments about farmers receiving some $1 billion in profits from this year's cotton harvest really means. Special guest: Umida Niyazova, the director and founder of the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights.

Nuclear Power

Rosatom Looking for Customers in Turkmenistan

Russian state atomic energy company Rosatom has been selected to build one nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan, is building one hybrid NPP in Uzbekistan, is in talks about constructing small reactors in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and is now trying to sell its products to Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is an unlikely customer, as the country has gas-fired thermal power plants (TPP) and the fourth-largest reserves of natural gas in the world to fuel these electricity plants. However, increasing Western sanctions on Russia that followed Moscow’s decision to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine have greatly curtailed Rosatom’s ability to sign new contracts in the West. That has led Rosatom into Central Asia, and it appears the Russian company sees the Central Asian states as attractive customers. Turkmenistan: A Gas and Electricity Exporter Turkmenistan exports some 35 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas to China annually, and about 9 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity to Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan combined. The Turkmen authorities are looking to increase the volumes they sell and add to the list of purchasers. Turkmenistan has ten large TPPs, 254 megawatts (MW) or more, and several dozen smaller TPPs around the country. Turkmenistan’s 2022 census showed the population of the country was slightly more than seven million people, but according to other sources, the figure should be closer to five million or lower. For most of Turkmenistan’s 35-year history as an independent country, electricity was free for citizens, and while that was abolished in 2019, the price remains relatively cheap compared to most countries. That said, Turkmenistan’s people are accustomed to power outages, mostly due to aging infrastructure. But the country does have ample supplies of domestically-produced electricity for its needs, especially if the transmission network were to be fully repaired and modernized. The Rosatom Pitch On November 3-5, Ashgabat hosted an international conference and exhibition on the “Development of the Construction, Industrial, Chemical, and Energy Sectors of Turkmenistan.” Representatives from more than 100 companies from 13 countries attended the event. Rosatom was there, presenting a range of projects involving atomic energy. Dmitri Konstantinov, the Deputy Director of Rosatom’s Central Asia office, said, “We would like to introduce our partners from Turkmenistan to Rosatom and share information about the modern technologies and projects we offer.” Konstantinov explained that even countries with abundant energy resources need to diversify their energy mix. State corporation Turkmengeology reported on Konstantinov’s sales pitch and noted his comments on “small-capacity units.” Konstantinov said Rosatom is looking at other areas of cooperation with Turkmenistan, and mentioned help in building wind farms and in nuclear medicine. Turkmen visitors to the Rosatom stand at the exhibition included Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Baymyrat Annamammedov, Energy Minister Annangeldy Saparov, and Construction and Architecture Minister Abdulla Geldiyev. From the Caspian to the Tien Shan Rosatom is competing for NPP contracts in Central Asia as the company works to expand a portfolio that already includes projects in 57 countries worth more than $200 billion. Rosatom won the...

Forced Labor

Turkmenistan Cotton Harvest: Forced Labor Persists Amid Reform Talks

In Turkmenistan, teachers, healthcare workers, and employees of state-owned enterprises continue to pay from their salaries to avoid being forced to pick cotton, according to independent reporting. The independent news outlet Turkmen.news reported in October that employees of an oil depot in the Dashoguz region paid approximately $19 a month despite earning around $110. Bank employees paid $3.50 three times a week, while school employees in Turkmenabat paid $1.50 up to 10 times a month. These dollar amounts are approximate, based on an unofficial exchange rate of around 19–20 manat to $1, compared with the official rate of 3.5 manat. The government is discussing measures to combat forced and child labor with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the European Union (EU). At an international conference in Ashgabat on November 4, representatives of the ILO, United Nations agencies, and trade unions discussed the protection of labor rights. The government’s account of the meeting made no mention of the cotton harvest or the forced mobilization of workers. Public Employees and Soldiers Sent to Cotton Fields The cotton harvest officially began on September 9, with a national production target of approximately 1.25 million metric tons of raw cotton, including 275,000 metric tons from the Dashoguz region. Public-sector employees were reportedly being assigned to fieldwork before the official start. On August 20, the independent outlet Chronicles of Turkmenistan reported that cleaners and maintenance staff from public institutions in the Lebap region would work 15-day shifts in cotton fields. Doctors, nurses, and teachers were to participate on weekends. Turkmen.news documented forced mobilization in four of the country’s five regions: Ahal, Dashoguz, Lebap, and Mary. Workers from municipal services and road maintenance organizations were among those required to pick cotton or pay for replacements. The outlet reported that some replacement pickers were children as young as 12. In a separate October 22 report, it described military conscripts harvesting cotton in the Mary and Lebap regions, with daily quotas of 40–50 kilograms. A conscript said soldiers were supposed to receive one manat (about $0.05) per kilogram, but that the unit commander took the money. The accounts involving soldiers and minors rely partly on anonymous sources. The reports contain no response from the authorities to these allegations. What ILO Monitors Found Since 2023, Turkmenistan has allowed ILO observers to monitor cotton harvests. Cooperation is conducted under agreed road maps, the latest of which covers 2026. In May, the ILO and the EU launched a joint project for 2026–2027 to prevent child and forced labor in cotton production. At consultations in Ashgabat on October 27–28, participants discussed hiring cotton pickers under simplified labor agreements that would include insurance against workplace injuries. The ILO’s 2025 monitoring report found that observers saw children in the fields during 38% of visits, up from 23% in 2024. Among farmers interviewed, 34% reported the presence of children, compared with 17% a year earlier. In the Dashoguz region, observers saw children in 59% of fields visited. Observers reported interference during 35% of field visits...

Economic Diplomacy

Expanding U.S.–Turkmenistan Ties: Envoy and Business Group Visit Ashgabat

Turkmenistan and the United States are working to deepen their economic and diplomatic relationship, with a top American diplomat and a U.S. business delegation visiting Ashgabat this week. The U.S.-Turkmenistan Business Council had announced a semiannual business mission to Ashgabat on November 4–5, a trip that comes amid a wider effort by the United States and Central Asian countries to expand trade and investment ties with each other. The council is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit group led by Eric Stewart, a former U.S. deputy assistant secretary for Europe/Eurasia at the Department of Commerce who has founded more than a dozen similar groups focusing on other countries and regions. The trip, which was coordinated with the U.S. government, followed a visit to Ashgabat this week by S. Paul Kapur, U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian affairs. On November 3, Kapur and Turkmenistan's Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov talked about “expanding business ties and identifying new opportunities” for partnership, according to Turkmenistan’s embassy in the U.S. U.S. support for the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline was also discussed, the embassy said. That support was also noted in a Turkmen state media report on Kapur’s meeting with Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, the former president who still has a powerful leadership role in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan recently said there was progress in laying the pipeline in Afghanistan’s Herat province, though the overall TAPI project has faced years of delays and challenges in its implementation. While U.S.-Turkmen trade and investment are relatively small, Turkmenistan’s strategic location on Caspian Sea trade routes and the fact that it has some of the largest proven reserves of natural gas in the world make it a potentially important partner for the U.S. Turkmenistan mainly exports energy to China but is aiming to diversify export options, including through projects such as TAPI and the planned Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline.

U.S.-Central Asia Engagement

U.S. Midterms Hand Democrats a Central Asia Agenda They Helped Build

Democrats have won control of Congress in the November 3 midterms, ending President Donald Trump’s Republican majority. But they inherit a Central Asia agenda their party helped build, backed by substantial orders for American manufacturers. Uzbekistan Airways’ new Boeing deliveries are due to begin in 2031, while Kazakhstan’s $4.2 billion Wabtec agreement covers a decade. For American businesses, the region’s importance is already measured in export orders that outlast a congressional majority. American Jobs Behind the Diplomacy Kazakhstan signed its Wabtec agreement in September 2025. The U.S. Commerce Department said the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer would supply 300 heavy-haul locomotive kits over the next decade. It estimated that the deal would support more than 11,000 American jobs. Uzbekistan Airways initially ordered 14 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with options for eight more. The Commerce Department valued that package at approximately $8.5 billion. The airline subsequently exercised the options, bringing its firm order to 22 aircraft. Those purchases give Astana and Tashkent a direct argument in Washington: engaging with them brings business to American factories. The relationship also gives U.S. manufacturers a reason to support continued engagement, whichever party controls congressional committees. From Biden to Trump The minerals agenda has already survived a change of president. The Biden administration signed a critical minerals cooperation memorandum with Uzbekistan in September 2024, aimed at diversifying global supplies. Under Trump, critical minerals and digital infrastructure remained on the agenda at the October 19 C5+1 meeting in Samarkand. The United States and the five Central Asian republics also backed increased trade through the Trans-Caspian route and closer links between their business communities. Congressional support crosses the same party divide. In October, Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Senator Tim Sheehy introduced legislation to strengthen critical mineral supply chains through mining and processing partnerships with U.S. allies. A bipartisan artificial intelligence (AI) bill, reintroduced in February, similarly aims to strengthen American research and testing capacity. Kazakhstan’s June 2026 agreements with Firebird, a U.S. technology company, cover proposed AI infrastructure and advanced computing capacity. Central Asia offers customers for American technology as well as potential sources of strategic minerals. Both fit priorities Democrats have backed alongside Republicans. The incoming majority has reasons of its own to maintain that engagement. Congress’s Unfinished Business The Democratic majority will take office in January 2027, gaining control of committees and greater influence over legislation and oversight. Central Asian governments will also lose two established advocates. Republican Steve Daines and Democrat Gary Peters, who founded the Senate Central Asia Caucus in 2024, are both retiring that month. Their successors will inherit an unfinished trade agenda. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan remain subject to the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik Amendment, despite years of calls to remove its trade restrictions. Republican and Democratic lawmakers introduced repeal legislation in November 2025. While American manufacturers are booking Central Asian business into the 2030s, Congress is still debating whether to lift trade restrictions dating from 1974. At a September 2026 House hearing, lawmakers from both parties heard arguments for removing the restrictions. The discussion...

COP31

Opinion: What is on the agenda for Central Asia at COP31?

The 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP31, is taking place in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20. Delegations from almost 200 countries will participate in the event, including all the Central Asian republics, but Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan will play an outsize role in coordinating their messaging and ensuring the regional environmental agenda gets the time it needs in the spotlight. The buzzword for the C5 in Türkiye is “cooperation.” Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources will host a meeting for Central Asia’s five environmental ministers at its national pavilion to discuss regional cooperation and joint climate initiatives. Uzbekistan is committed to contributing to common positions on glacier retreat, water security, adaptation needs, and equitable access to climate finance through the multilateral Mountain Group and the Group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs). Turkmenistan will continue pushing for the formation of the Ashgabat Climate Dialogue as a new multilateral platform for promoting climate change initiatives. In line with its Mountain Agenda, the Kyrgyz Republic will be lobbying for support to establish the Global Mountain Resilience Center in Bishkek. Mobilizing affordable climate finance is critical for all the republics. According to the Climate Policy Initiative, global climate finance reached $2 trillion in 2024, against estimated annual mitigation finance needs of $7.8 trillion through 2030. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Aziz Abdukhakimov, Presidential Adviser on Environmental Issues and Chair of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan, stated: “Access to adequate, predictable and affordable climate finance remains essential for developing countries to achieve their climate goals. For Uzbekistan, the implementation of our national climate commitments is estimated to require approximately $33.7 billion for mitigation and $15.7 billion for adaptation by 2030.” Closing, or at least narrowing, that gap requires building support among international financial institutions, multilateral development banks, development partners, and private investors. The GEF Council, meeting in Samarkand ahead of the Eighth GEF Assembly, endorsed a $3.9 billion replenishment package (GEF-9), demonstrating donor interest and tangible commitment to climate projects, including for a restoration project in the Chu and Talas river basins shared by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and for a risk mitigation facility to attract private investment into Uzbekistan’s renewable energy sector. But there is hope that commitments at COP31 will go further. In September 2026, during Climate Week NYC, President-Designate Murat Kurum announced that Uzbekistan would be one of the first five pilot countries to receive support under the Climate Implementation Bridge (BRIDGE), the flagship initiative of COP31. This represents an important opportunity to translate national climate priorities into investment-ready projects and facilitate access to international financing. In his interview, Abdukhakimov stated that Uzbekistan’s focus will be “mobilizing investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate-resilient infrastructure, sustainable water management, agriculture and ecosystem restoration.” At the same time, Kazakhstan will be presenting its plans to establish a national climate investment platform, plus a framework partnership program for developing the circular economy across Central Asia. Tajikistan will be...