Anis H. Bajrektarevic is a Professor and a Chairperson for International Law and Global

INTERESTS & INFLUENCES OF MAJOR EXTERNAL ACTORS IN CENTRAL ASIA
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fOREIgN POLICY
The government of Turkmenistan is strictly au-
tocratic. Russia and Ukraine are the most impor-
tant customers of natural resources and
therefore play an essential role in Turk-
menistan’s foreign policy. Russia is a recipient of
Turkmen gas; Turkmenistan started exporting
gas to China in 2009. In spite of the increased
attention from the western world in the region,
President Niyazov kept close contacts to the Tal-
iban regime after the terror attacks against the
U.S. on September 11, 2001. Turkey, Azerbaijan,
Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran were used as
a counterweight to Russia playing important
roles in Turkmenistan’s foreign policy. The EU-
Turkmen relations are mainly based on mineral
fuels import from Turkmenistan and machinery
and transport equipment to Turkmenistan. The
EU is Turkmenistan’s most important import
partner and third most important export part-
ner. Turkmenistan’s weak democratization
process, poor human rights record, and its cur-
rent foreign policy have so far intimidated west-
ern countries from pursuing economic
contracts with Turkmenistan.
STRATEgIC PERSPECTIvES
Although some saw Berdymukhamedov as a re-
former, he has not made any policy departures
from the policies of Niyazov. The only develop-
ment is the export of gas to China in 2009. As
far as the transformation process from the for-
mer Soviet planned economy to a market econ-
omy, Turkmenistan slowly but gradually has to
implement structural reforms.
Berdymukhamedov has still not managed to
achieve economic independence from oil and
gas exports. The country needs further reforma-
tion of the health care system as well as the ed-
ucational sector.
While Turkmenistan’s non-aligned position and
devotion to the now phased-out and geopolit-
ically unrealistic neutrality in all affairs have
been beneficial, Turkmenistan can capitalize on
its potential. Turkmenistan has much vulnera-
bility such as being close to the Afghan border.
A violenct incident broke out in February and
May 2014 where there was a shootout between
Turkmen border guards and a “small armed
group that crossed the border from the 

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Ghormach region of Afghanistan’s Faryab
Province” along the Turkmen-Afghan border ac-
cording to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty’s
Turkmen Service, Azatlyk. Radio Free Europe
also reported that “Qishloq Ovozi[, a blog,] has
previously reported that there are militant
groups in northern Afghanistan who are allied
with the Taliban but are led by ethnic
Uzbeks.”[104]
A similar incident happened in September
2014, where Turkmen border guards crossed
into Afghanistan chasing away reportedly the
Taliban who resided along the border accord-
ing to Eurasia Net.[105] As a result of this activ-
ity 
and 
tensions 
mounting 
between
Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, Turkmenistan
like Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have decided to
close their borders. This shuts off the ethnic
Turkmen populations in Afghanistan that reside
close to the border, causing problems if a
refugee crisis situation ever were to occur. Con-
struction equipment appeared along the Turk-
men-Afghan 
border 
in 
October 
2014:
“Turkmenistan’s 
frontier 
with 
Jowzjan’s
Khamyab district, which neighbors Qar-
qeen.”[106] Despite Turkmenistan’s neutral
stance, it cannot shield Turkmenistan from re-
gional forces such as the Taliban and violence
that has plagued its neighbors for over two and
three decades respectively.

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