http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/ The official Web log for Great Decisions 2007 Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:03:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-3496 Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:32:41 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-3496 [...] Cutler calls the project’s a ’slow start,’ but one that has shown potential and should have mutual benefits.  The results have been ‘modest’ in his eyes as steps have been made, but it is too early to see any real change/progress involving relations between the two regions and concrete development on the ground.  Cutler is correct in noting that the EU has made major attempts to diplomatically and strategically engage Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, but is also correct in noting that nothing concrete has come from their talks so far.  Though he fails to mention that in April of this year, an EU delegation to Turkmenistan seemed to come close to a gas deal, circumventing Russia with the Trans-Caspian pipeline, though nothing has become official as of yet.  Cutler gives the EU credit for pushing a degree of democratization in Kazakhstan, using their leverage concerning Nazarbayev’s 2010 OSCE presidency.  However, this influence is difficult to truly measure.  Concerning Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the former has been given poverty reduction to support 100,000 people in the southern part of the country and in the latter, the EU has pledged to help alleviate Tajik’s border patrol and drug trafficking problems, especially on its Afghan border.  In the end, Cutler is right in warning against the ‘Strategy’ becoming too disjointed, piecemeal, with individual policies spread throughout, and also acknowledges the EU’s difficult task of trying to garner influence in a region already beset by great powers Russia, China, and the US. [...] […] Cutler calls the project’s a ’slow start,’ but one that has shown potential and should have mutual benefits.  The results have been ‘modest’ in his eyes as steps have been made, but it is too early to see any real change/progress involving relations between the two regions and concrete development on the ground.  Cutler is correct in noting that the EU has made major attempts to diplomatically and strategically engage Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, but is also correct in noting that nothing concrete has come from their talks so far.  Though he fails to mention that in April of this year, an EU delegation to Turkmenistan seemed to come close to a gas deal, circumventing Russia with the Trans-Caspian pipeline, though nothing has become official as of yet.  Cutler gives the EU credit for pushing a degree of democratization in Kazakhstan, using their leverage concerning Nazarbayev’s 2010 OSCE presidency.  However, this influence is difficult to truly measure.  Concerning Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the former has been given poverty reduction to support 100,000 people in the southern part of the country and in the latter, the EU has pledged to help alleviate Tajik’s border patrol and drug trafficking problems, especially on its Afghan border.  In the end, Cutler is right in warning against the ‘Strategy’ becoming too disjointed, piecemeal, with individual policies spread throughout, and also acknowledges the EU’s difficult task of trying to garner influence in a region already beset by great powers Russia, China, and the US. […]

]]> http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2705 Mon, 19 May 2008 03:36:53 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2705 [...] To offer some sweet relief for your Monday blues, here’s some Central Asian geopolitical analytical madness! A couple of weeks ago we discussed the EU’s attempts at diversifying CA gas exports to circumvent Russian territory and influence, mainly in Turkmenistan. In addition, on this blog we have talked about China and India’s growing role in the region, once again usually centered on natural resources. The geopolitics surrounding CA’s ‘Great Game’ have been analyzed for decades, but I must admit the stories and actors involved remain vibrant and the debate about who’s winning and losing rages on. [...] […] To offer some sweet relief for your Monday blues, here’s some Central Asian geopolitical analytical madness! A couple of weeks ago we discussed the EU’s attempts at diversifying CA gas exports to circumvent Russian territory and influence, mainly in Turkmenistan. In addition, on this blog we have talked about China and India’s growing role in the region, once again usually centered on natural resources. The geopolitics surrounding CA’s ‘Great Game’ have been analyzed for decades, but I must admit the stories and actors involved remain vibrant and the debate about who’s winning and losing rages on. […]

]]> http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2585 Thu, 01 May 2008 18:20:08 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2585 [...] On April 21st I discussed Turkmenistan-EU’s growing energy supply relations, specifically in regards to the building of the Nabucco and Trans-Caspian Pipelines, and yesterday I dropped you a quick article about a recent Memo of Understanding (MoU) between Turkmenistan and India regarding oil and gas cooperation. I have been wanting to discuss India’s growing role in Central Asia for quite awhile now and the visit of their Vice President Hamid Ansari to the region last week provides a great opening. [...] […] On April 21st I discussed Turkmenistan-EU’s growing energy supply relations, specifically in regards to the building of the Nabucco and Trans-Caspian Pipelines, and yesterday I dropped you a quick article about a recent Memo of Understanding (MoU) between Turkmenistan and India regarding oil and gas cooperation. I have been wanting to discuss India’s growing role in Central Asia for quite awhile now and the visit of their Vice President Hamid Ansari to the region last week provides a great opening. […]

]]> http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2579 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:32:12 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2579 [...] We have discussed Turkmenistan’s ‘opening up’ diplomatically from their isolationist and totalitarian Niyazov era on a few occasions. The nation’s participation in the latest NATO Summit, EU Troika, and their warming of relations with Turkey, for instance. I am pleased to report that this ‘opening up’ seems to have some legs: [...] […] We have discussed Turkmenistan’s ‘opening up’ diplomatically from their isolationist and totalitarian Niyazov era on a few occasions. The nation’s participation in the latest NATO Summit, EU Troika, and their warming of relations with Turkey, for instance. I am pleased to report that this ‘opening up’ seems to have some legs: […]

]]> http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2501 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:04:49 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2501 [...] Patrick Frost analyzes the developments in European policies towards Turkmenistan after the EU Troika-Central Asian summit held in Ashgabat. Posted by Adil Nurmakov Share This [...] […] Patrick Frost analyzes the developments in European policies towards Turkmenistan after the EU Troika-Central Asian summit held in Ashgabat. Posted by Adil Nurmakov Share This […]

]]> http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2502 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:04:49 +0000 http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/04/21/turkmenistan-eu-relations-piping-hot/#comment-2502 [...] Patrick Frost analyzes the developments in European policies towards Turkmenistan after the EU Troika-Central Asian summit held in Ashgabat. Posted by Adil Nurmakov Share This [...] […] Patrick Frost analyzes the developments in European policies towards Turkmenistan after the EU Troika-Central Asian summit held in Ashgabat. Posted by Adil Nurmakov Share This […]

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