Gulf Sheikhs Head for Ashgabat
Gulf Sheikhs Head for Ashgabat
The growing relationship between the United Arab Emirates and Turkmenistan is underpinned by the latter country’s investment potential, which could hoover up spare capital from the Gulf, NBCentralAsia political observers say.
A unique diplomatic style has given the Emirates the edge in dealing with the notoriously prickly Turkmen leader, Saparmurat Niazov.
On September 4, Niazov, also known as Turkmenbashi, met a high-level delegation from the Emirates and signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding covering the energy sector and manufacturing. The reclusive Niazov also accepted an invitation to pay an official visit to Abu-Dhabi.
NBCentralAsia’s political experts argue that that Emirates officials have displayed diplomatic skill in getting to understand Turkmenbashi’s motivations and goals, allowing trade and economic ties to burgeon, particularly around energy resources.
The latest delegation was headed by the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, accompanied by the Energy Minister Muhammad bin Dhaen al-Hamili. Nor are they the first top-level visitors, who this year alone have included the Emirates president, Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and Crown Prince Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi of Abu Dhabi.
In 2004, the Emirates gave Turkmenbashi a personal gift of 15 million US dollars. They even translated the Ruhnama, Niazov’s spiritual writings that purport to be a guide for the Turkmen nation, into Arabic. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has rebuilt the Archman sanatorium and a landing strip at Mary airport, and constructed a museum in Archabil, a facility for orphans in Ashgabat, and a business centre.
All of this has eased the Emirates’ access to Turkmen energy resources. At present, the major projects include Dragon Oil’s work on the Cheleken Caspian oilfield, and plans to build a large aluminium plant in Turkmenistan. Trade between the Emirates and Turkmenistan was worth 300 million US dollars last year.
According to NBCA’s economic experts, Turkmenistan serves the Emirates mainly as a place to dump excess investment capital. The Gulf state is now interested in financing the Turkmen section of the projected Turkmen-Afghan-Pakistan gas pipeline, and also in opening up the Yashlar gasfield, which is one of the 20 largest in the world.
The importance of Emirates investments to Turkmenistan was illustrated by the fact that Niazov sent his son Murad there in July to conduct negotiations with the trade and industry chamber. It was time the president’s son had made a public appearance as a representative of the state.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
A unique diplomatic style has given the Emirates the edge in dealing with the notoriously prickly Turkmen leader, Saparmurat Niazov.
On September 4, Niazov, also known as Turkmenbashi, met a high-level delegation from the Emirates and signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding covering the energy sector and manufacturing. The reclusive Niazov also accepted an invitation to pay an official visit to Abu-Dhabi.
NBCentralAsia’s political experts argue that that Emirates officials have displayed diplomatic skill in getting to understand Turkmenbashi’s motivations and goals, allowing trade and economic ties to burgeon, particularly around energy resources.
The latest delegation was headed by the Minister for Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, accompanied by the Energy Minister Muhammad bin Dhaen al-Hamili. Nor are they the first top-level visitors, who this year alone have included the Emirates president, Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and Crown Prince Saud bin Saqr al-Qasimi of Abu Dhabi.
In 2004, the Emirates gave Turkmenbashi a personal gift of 15 million US dollars. They even translated the Ruhnama, Niazov’s spiritual writings that purport to be a guide for the Turkmen nation, into Arabic. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has rebuilt the Archman sanatorium and a landing strip at Mary airport, and constructed a museum in Archabil, a facility for orphans in Ashgabat, and a business centre.
All of this has eased the Emirates’ access to Turkmen energy resources. At present, the major projects include Dragon Oil’s work on the Cheleken Caspian oilfield, and plans to build a large aluminium plant in Turkmenistan. Trade between the Emirates and Turkmenistan was worth 300 million US dollars last year.
According to NBCA’s economic experts, Turkmenistan serves the Emirates mainly as a place to dump excess investment capital. The Gulf state is now interested in financing the Turkmen section of the projected Turkmen-Afghan-Pakistan gas pipeline, and also in opening up the Yashlar gasfield, which is one of the 20 largest in the world.
The importance of Emirates investments to Turkmenistan was illustrated by the fact that Niazov sent his son Murad there in July to conduct negotiations with the trade and industry chamber. It was time the president’s son had made a public appearance as a representative of the state.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
