Eurasianet

An update on recent developments in China-Central Asian affairs.

Basic rights are regularly trampled in Turkmenistan, but international organizations do little to address them in earnest.

Xi offers a helping hand in developing Central Asian political parties.

The scale of the country's methane emissions is becoming a major embarrassment, but the government seems unwilling to do anything about it. This and more in this week's Akhal-Teke bulletin.

A bulletin of recent developments in Chinese-Central Asian affairs.

Loyalty to Moscow, U.S. umbrage at Iran's arms supplies, coronation and soccer. And more in this week's Akhal-Teke Bulletin.

Officials are interested in renewables on paper, but there is little evidence Ashgabat is committed to minimizing the environmental damage it is causing. Our weekly briefing.

Turkmenistan is at last willing to discuss its full-blown water crisis. Our weekly briefing.

And can Central Asia’s poorest countries benefit from their new importance to Russia without suffering secondary sanctions?

Alexander Zhadan served as a gatekeeper and provided counsel, all while acquiescing to the crackpot megalomania that gripped both the presidents he served. Our weekly briefing.

Death in the family, U.S. visitors come visiting, pointless election results, and the sad lot of Turkmen women. Our weekly briefing.

Cargo traffic from Russia doubles, electricity-export plans, and the former president gets even more megalomaniacal. Our weekly briefing.

Elections that don’t matter, Russia sows paranoia, and trouble upstream for Turkmen farmers: Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The canal across northern Afghanistan will divert water from the dying Amu Darya river.

Election choreography, backwards reasoning, and the government tries to justify wasting billions on empty megaresorts. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

While the country's authoritarian rulers are utterly indifferent to political freedoms, how the investment regime is perceived is another matter. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Israel is imminently poised to open a permanent mission in Ashgabat, 20 kilometers from the Iranian border. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Beijing is leaning toward buying additional Central Asian gas, despite reliability concerns.

The teetering edifice of megalomania built around the Berdymukhamedov family should make it obvious how Turkmenistan is governed. Our weekly briefing.

Turkmenistan is looking to Gazprom to deliver new customers, at the risk of further eroding its independence. Our weekly briefing.

Tightening internet controls as families desperately try to reach loved ones in Turkey, bogus economic performance figures, and Berdymukhamedov the elder visits the Gulf. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The son tries to escape his father’s shadow, costly breakdowns in gas exports, and Russia has been playing Turkmenistan for a fool. Our weekly briefing.

Moscow curries favor, neighbors seek more gas, and Turkmenistan’s colossal methane pollution could power Afghanistan at little cost many times over. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

The president’s authority now looks desperately weakened, which means that if anything should happen to his 65-year-old father, a crisis of legitimacy could ensue. Our weekly briefing.

It is so cold that Turkmenistan has suspending gas exports to Uzbekistan, Iran and even its most important customer, China. Our weekly briefing.