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Ashgabat has pursued a notably distinct line in its engagements with the Taliban. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Cotton quotas, measuring COVID mortality from space, and the dauphin takes on the economy. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

While clumsy on COVID-19, Turkmenistan is being more sure-footed, or consistent at least, on the Afghanistan front. Plus, unsustainable agriculture. Our weekly briefing.

The government signals it is taking COVID a bit more seriously, without admitting the virus is running rampant. And Ashgabat gets down to business with the Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Turkmenistan is embracing the Taliban takeover next door and refusing to get involved in humanitarian operations. This and more in our weekly briefing.

With the Taliban at the border, the president heads in the other direction to oversee defense operations on the Caspian Sea. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

That Central Asia's presidents seemed to enjoy themselves together was itself a breakthrough. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The president’s latest stunt highlights how Turkmenistan is increasingly devoted to military aviation acquisitions from Italy. Our weekly briefing.

Turkmenistan sees Japan as an important source of technical know-how and investment, and the enthusiasm is mutual. Our weekly briefing.

Ashgabat has great confidence these days in its Europe-bound exports. Plus, a mysterious tragedy on the Afghan border. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Turkmenistan is showing itself happy to work with the Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

The president hints at a suicide problem. This and more in our weekly briefing.

Will Turkmenistan come to Kyrgyzstan’s rescue?

Abu Dhabi invests in green energy, China gets another drilling contract, and Ashgabat cuts funding to universities. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

But the end of onerous debt-servicing duties will not spell an imminent transformation in fortunes.

The dauphin does not cut an impressive figure, so his dad props him up on a horse. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Soil degradation, bread shortages and record-breaking temperatures: This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

All this Russo-Turkmen intimacy will only consolidate an existing state of affairs. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Living large, the Berdymukhamedov family plays host, and talking about market rules. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Drought, brawls over rations, and a curious way of turning cheap power into bananas: This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Succession, rampant inflation, and the dear leader gets some exotic new pets. This and more in our weekly briefing.

While the president and his son indulge their favorite pets, food for people is increasingly scarce. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Legacy and death must linger perennially even in the minds of the most megalomaniacal autocrats, and this is why preparations for Turkmenistan’s future are proceeding apace.

Economic maladministration is becoming harder to hide.

Although Turkmenistan is rarely mentioned as a prospective member of the Moscow-led EAEU trading bloc, that notion is quite obviously on the Kremlin’s mind. Our weekly briefing.