Eurasianet

Out-of-touch elites, poor planning, and some signs of progress in regional trade. Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

In our weekly briefing: Restrictions easing, COVID denialism persists, foreign suitors come visiting in hope of business, and the latest annual horse jamboree.

Turkmenistan's new president is continuing his father's traditions: Building white elephants, censoring the internet, and booting people out of their homes.

The president-in-waiting plans to change nothing. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

None could miss Beijing’s big moment.

Xi Jinping said trade has grown 25-fold over the last two decades.

As the president readies the public for yet another year of shortages, he has taken money from an economic stabilization fund to breed more horses. This and more in our weekly briefing.

In our weekly briefing: The Taliban visit Ashgabat, the dauphin is received by Uzbekistan’s president, and authorities tighten control after unrest in neighboring Kazakhstan.

A cratering economy, the world’s slowest internet, and the army takes charge of food production. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Letters from Washington, cybersecurity cooperation with China, and negotiating with a bankrupt Taliban. This and more in our weekly briefing.

The World Health Organization continues to indulge Turkmenistan’s lies about the coronavirus. Our weekly briefing.

Despite price increases and concerns about food shortages, the president is demanding more food be shipped abroad. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.

Turkmenistan has a two-track plan to increase trade with the outside world. Our weekly briefing.

Our weekly Turkmenistan briefing: Berdymukhamedov goes traveling and lectures the WHO, while YouTube bows to Turkmen censors and takes down Eurasianet’s channel.

That sets them apart from Afghanistan’s other post-Soviet neighbor, Tajikistan.