Zigzags of Turkmen "happiness and power"
Last Thursday, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov raised a golden neck from the barbell during a meeting on the World Weightlifting Championships in Ashgabat, which was opening in Ashgabat. God knows what a sporting achievement. The standard bar of the rod pulls on 20 kilograms. This weight is quite the strength of a developed teenager.
Nevertheless, the Turkmen ministers who participated in the meeting awarded their President with a storm of applause.
We wanted the best ...
It is not the first time when Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demonstrates his valiant dalliance to the Turkmen. He was already prancing on a thoroughbred mount, he was throwing knives at the target, and he shot straight. Now I have mastered the gold bar of the rod. A day after the new “sporting feat” of the president, another meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan was held. It discussed the implementation of programs of socio-economic development of the country.
The verbose report of the Turkmen officialdom does not give a clear picture of what the government decided on such an important issue for the people. Discussed in detail the discussion of operational business affairs - sowing of winter crops, harvesting cotton, improvement works in the Turkmen capital, etc.
A place was given to the analysis of the “successful implementation of the“ Program for the development of the country's oil and gas industry for the period up to 2030 ” But even here everything sank in general terms about "the importance of increasing the volume of production, processing and export of oil and natural gas, the production of various oil and gas and chemical products that are in demand within the country and on world markets."
Meanwhile, problems in the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan have dropped it in a severe socio-economic crisis, out of which is not yet visible. History this has been stretching since the beginning of this century, when the Caspian state really prospered.
The first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, called that time the “golden age”. In confirmation of this, more than ten thousand monuments were put to him, some gold or gilded. Simple Turkmen fell into "communal paradise." They began to receive gas, water, electricity, edible salt for free and to thank the great “Serdar” (leader) for the benefits provided.
They were supplied with gas to the Iranian market (about 7 billion cubic meters of gas) and Russian Gazprom (about 11 billion cubic meters). Partners periodically quarreled (Ashgabat demanded to raise prices for supplies and even arbitrarily wrote out bills for new price tags). Then they made up, and the gas dollars replenished the Turkmen budget again.
Everything was good, until, as in the old joke, they did not want to do even better. Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world (after Russia, Iran and Qatar) in terms of proven gas reserves - 17,5 trillion. cc m (9,4% of world reserves). The wealth is tremendous. Ashgabat offered him a wide gesture to Beijing.
Coming to cooperation with China, Turkmen leaders have been dreaming about increasing gas exports to 180 billion cubic meters and have promised compatriots to fill the country with gas dollars. Under these plans, the second president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, even introduced a free distribution of gasoline (40-200 liters per month, depending on the class of the car).
Behind the facade of the "sports feat"
The “era of happiness and power” was coming, as Arkadag himself called it (“patron” - this is the official status of the current president). It did not last long. Gasoline ceased to distribute free four years ago. From January 1, 2019 will close the gates to the “communal paradise”.
Unemployment is rampant in the country (60% of the working-age population is now in this status), there is a shortage of food, not even flour. The shelves of the shops were empty, as it was in the nineties. Berdymukhamedov tried to correct the situation. He took a loan from Russia for food to 2 billion dollars, but the money was quickly eaten, but the situation did not change.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the Turkmen finally fell out with the Iranian and Russian gas industry workers, requesting 240 dollars per thousand cubic meters of gas from them. Gazprom has refused such cooperation without any problems. Iran had more difficult. Replacing the Turkmen gas, he extended a new gas pipeline with a design capacity of 14,6 billion cubic meters per year to the northern regions of the country, and so he solved the problem.
The second cause of Turkmenistan’s troubles was the great gas friendship between Ashgabat and Beijing. It began hopefully. China has provided Turkmenistan with a loan of 6,5 billion dollars for the construction of three gas pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. In addition, almost 20 billion invested in the development of Turkmen gas fields.
The amounts were decent. For the most part, they returned safely to the Celestial Empire, as payment for the work of Chinese companies. Turkmenistan was left with a debt, which it now extinguishes with gas supplies. Moreover, the Chinese money invested in gas fields is decorated with ruinous production sharing agreements.
In addition, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan gained access to the constructed gas pipelines, through which the pipeline passes. So Turkmenistan can only control the "pipe" in the amount of 35 billion cubic meters of gas. This is extremely small for a painless return of borrowing. Moreover, the Chinese have agreed with the Turkmen on the price of gas total 185 dollars per thousand cubic meters (compare with the price tag for Russia and Iran.)
Thus, instead of “happiness and power,” Turkmenistan quickly fell into poverty and misery. This is especially acutely felt by the inhabitants of the countryside. The most mobile of them began to buy products in the capital. But the authorities put police cordons against participants in such grocery shopping. Cars with products from Ashgabat began to stop on the tracks and fine drivers. These facts led recently the site "CentrAsia".
In the Turkmen capital itself, too, hard. Its residents reached out to Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey for food. They brought home medicines, bread, sugar, sausage, eggs, cigarettes, etc. The authorities reacted quickly. She forbade the departure of citizens under the age of forty.
So they stopped not only grocery shopping, but people’s attempts to leave for work or permanent residence. According to CentrAsia, more than 25 thousand applications for migrant status have accumulated from the owners of Turkmen passports only at the Russian embassy in Ashgabat. It is noteworthy that among the applicants for this status are many indigenous Turkmen. They are driven by need from their homeland.
Against its background, the wealth of Turkmen officials, managers of energy companies, senior representatives of power structures and other bystanders looks defiant. It annoys ordinary people. They seek their support from Islamic extremists.
According to expert estimates, the Turkmen contingent among the Syrian militants and Afghan mojaheds exceeds several thousand people. Unrest in Turkmenistan itself. Last year, 70 troops were detained here, promoting radical Islam right on the territory of military units.
The susceptibility of the Turkmen military to the ideas of the Islamists is explained by the frequent delays (by months) of salaries, the reduction of food rations and the difficulties faced by their families and loved ones. An explosive mixture is accumulating, which can spill out not only on Turkmenistan, but also on other countries of the region.
In the meantime, the country's leader entertains compatriots with his many talents. He is actively helped by the official media. They praise the poetic gift of Arkadag (it is believed that Berdymukhamedov personally composed the anthem of the Asian games 2017 of the year), his DJ ability, and now the “golden weightlifter”.
Only here behind the facade of this propaganda tinsel are the real problems of Turkmenistan and its people. Here, they see no way out of the impasse in which the policy of the Turkmen cabinet in the most sensitive sphere, energy, has led the country.
Nevertheless, the Turkmen ministers who participated in the meeting awarded their President with a storm of applause.
We wanted the best ...
It is not the first time when Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov demonstrates his valiant dalliance to the Turkmen. He was already prancing on a thoroughbred mount, he was throwing knives at the target, and he shot straight. Now I have mastered the gold bar of the rod. A day after the new “sporting feat” of the president, another meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan was held. It discussed the implementation of programs of socio-economic development of the country.
The verbose report of the Turkmen officialdom does not give a clear picture of what the government decided on such an important issue for the people. Discussed in detail the discussion of operational business affairs - sowing of winter crops, harvesting cotton, improvement works in the Turkmen capital, etc.
A place was given to the analysis of the “successful implementation of the“ Program for the development of the country's oil and gas industry for the period up to 2030 ” But even here everything sank in general terms about "the importance of increasing the volume of production, processing and export of oil and natural gas, the production of various oil and gas and chemical products that are in demand within the country and on world markets."
Meanwhile, problems in the oil and gas industry of Turkmenistan have dropped it in a severe socio-economic crisis, out of which is not yet visible. History this has been stretching since the beginning of this century, when the Caspian state really prospered.
The first president of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Niyazov, called that time the “golden age”. In confirmation of this, more than ten thousand monuments were put to him, some gold or gilded. Simple Turkmen fell into "communal paradise." They began to receive gas, water, electricity, edible salt for free and to thank the great “Serdar” (leader) for the benefits provided.
They were supplied with gas to the Iranian market (about 7 billion cubic meters of gas) and Russian Gazprom (about 11 billion cubic meters). Partners periodically quarreled (Ashgabat demanded to raise prices for supplies and even arbitrarily wrote out bills for new price tags). Then they made up, and the gas dollars replenished the Turkmen budget again.
Everything was good, until, as in the old joke, they did not want to do even better. Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world (after Russia, Iran and Qatar) in terms of proven gas reserves - 17,5 trillion. cc m (9,4% of world reserves). The wealth is tremendous. Ashgabat offered him a wide gesture to Beijing.
Coming to cooperation with China, Turkmen leaders have been dreaming about increasing gas exports to 180 billion cubic meters and have promised compatriots to fill the country with gas dollars. Under these plans, the second president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, even introduced a free distribution of gasoline (40-200 liters per month, depending on the class of the car).
Behind the facade of the "sports feat"
The “era of happiness and power” was coming, as Arkadag himself called it (“patron” - this is the official status of the current president). It did not last long. Gasoline ceased to distribute free four years ago. From January 1, 2019 will close the gates to the “communal paradise”.
Unemployment is rampant in the country (60% of the working-age population is now in this status), there is a shortage of food, not even flour. The shelves of the shops were empty, as it was in the nineties. Berdymukhamedov tried to correct the situation. He took a loan from Russia for food to 2 billion dollars, but the money was quickly eaten, but the situation did not change.
There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the Turkmen finally fell out with the Iranian and Russian gas industry workers, requesting 240 dollars per thousand cubic meters of gas from them. Gazprom has refused such cooperation without any problems. Iran had more difficult. Replacing the Turkmen gas, he extended a new gas pipeline with a design capacity of 14,6 billion cubic meters per year to the northern regions of the country, and so he solved the problem.
The second cause of Turkmenistan’s troubles was the great gas friendship between Ashgabat and Beijing. It began hopefully. China has provided Turkmenistan with a loan of 6,5 billion dollars for the construction of three gas pipelines with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. In addition, almost 20 billion invested in the development of Turkmen gas fields.
The amounts were decent. For the most part, they returned safely to the Celestial Empire, as payment for the work of Chinese companies. Turkmenistan was left with a debt, which it now extinguishes with gas supplies. Moreover, the Chinese money invested in gas fields is decorated with ruinous production sharing agreements.
In addition, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan gained access to the constructed gas pipelines, through which the pipeline passes. So Turkmenistan can only control the "pipe" in the amount of 35 billion cubic meters of gas. This is extremely small for a painless return of borrowing. Moreover, the Chinese have agreed with the Turkmen on the price of gas total 185 dollars per thousand cubic meters (compare with the price tag for Russia and Iran.)
Thus, instead of “happiness and power,” Turkmenistan quickly fell into poverty and misery. This is especially acutely felt by the inhabitants of the countryside. The most mobile of them began to buy products in the capital. But the authorities put police cordons against participants in such grocery shopping. Cars with products from Ashgabat began to stop on the tracks and fine drivers. These facts led recently the site "CentrAsia".
In the Turkmen capital itself, too, hard. Its residents reached out to Central Asia, Azerbaijan, Iran, and Turkey for food. They brought home medicines, bread, sugar, sausage, eggs, cigarettes, etc. The authorities reacted quickly. She forbade the departure of citizens under the age of forty.
So they stopped not only grocery shopping, but people’s attempts to leave for work or permanent residence. According to CentrAsia, more than 25 thousand applications for migrant status have accumulated from the owners of Turkmen passports only at the Russian embassy in Ashgabat. It is noteworthy that among the applicants for this status are many indigenous Turkmen. They are driven by need from their homeland.
Against its background, the wealth of Turkmen officials, managers of energy companies, senior representatives of power structures and other bystanders looks defiant. It annoys ordinary people. They seek their support from Islamic extremists.
According to expert estimates, the Turkmen contingent among the Syrian militants and Afghan mojaheds exceeds several thousand people. Unrest in Turkmenistan itself. Last year, 70 troops were detained here, promoting radical Islam right on the territory of military units.
The susceptibility of the Turkmen military to the ideas of the Islamists is explained by the frequent delays (by months) of salaries, the reduction of food rations and the difficulties faced by their families and loved ones. An explosive mixture is accumulating, which can spill out not only on Turkmenistan, but also on other countries of the region.
In the meantime, the country's leader entertains compatriots with his many talents. He is actively helped by the official media. They praise the poetic gift of Arkadag (it is believed that Berdymukhamedov personally composed the anthem of the Asian games 2017 of the year), his DJ ability, and now the “golden weightlifter”.
Only here behind the facade of this propaganda tinsel are the real problems of Turkmenistan and its people. Here, they see no way out of the impasse in which the policy of the Turkmen cabinet in the most sensitive sphere, energy, has led the country.
- Gennady Granovsky
- ntv.ru (video frames)
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