Turkmenistan

The United States established diplomatic relations with Turkmenistan in 1992 following its independence from the Soviet Union. Turkmenistan exercises a foreign policy of “positive neutrality” — avoiding alignment with great powers yet actively engaging in numerous international and regional initiatives. The country occupies a critical geographic juncture, sharing long borders with Afghanistan and Iran, and acts as a transportation, humanitarian, and economic link to Afghanistan and the South Asian subcontinent, advancing regional stability. Turkmenistan provides heavily subsidized food, electricity, and natural gas to the provinces of northern Afghanistan to promote stability. Turkmenistan is a closed society with an authoritarian political system and centralized economy. The country’s gross domestic product is heavily dependent on exports of natural gas – China is its primary consumer at present. The country’s massive revenues from natural gas sales do not trickle down to the average Turkmen, however, and corruption is rife within virtually all layers of society. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, elected in March 2022, has yet to enact any noticeable reforms.