The Uninvited
The latest article from VneshVrag written by Mikhail Borkounov! Trump's brand of diplomacy took a wrecking ball to the Turkmen administration after causing embarrassment to their leader.
In the city so much of your life is lived for you by others, you are required to fill so small a space.
-Dorothy Macardle, "Uneasy Freehold" ("The Uninvited")
The feeling of exclusion, compounded by that of resentment at not having been invited to an elite gathering called the "Board of Peace" hosted by Trump in February, must have overwhelmed the Turkmen leaders. The list of guests Orange Bozo had rounded up at the "party" included the cream of political heavyweights from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Turkmenistan, however, with the neutral status it prides itself on, was left out in the cold. So was, quite literally, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow who found himself wandering "lonely as a cloud" around Trump's residence.
The ex-president's promenade eventually brought him to a local golf club and an equestrian facility, where he was happy to meet a number of business tycoons eager to discuss the need to construct golf courses in Arkadaga and the Avaza national resort area. He then rubbed shoulders with Israeli-American financier Isaac Perlmuter, billionaire Steve Wynn, and William Koch (head of the Oxbow Group, a natural resource extraction and processing company) who wondered in a by-the-way manner about the prospects of getting access to Ashgabat's crown jewels.
Prior to the trip, the "patron" of the republic had been hoping to promote the TAPI gas pipeline project and attract investments in the energy sector. After all, Turkmenistan's geographical location in the Middle Corridor as well as its efficiently exploited natural gas reserves are, indeed, the major selling points of the state. The latter fact is perfectly evidenced by the latest data on crude oil and gas extraction and refining.
It was with a broken heart that Berdimuhamedow left the US but could he have possibly hoped for a positive outcome? Hadn't the memories of the January talks with US Secretary of the Army D. Driscoll and Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Sergio Gor with their egocentric approach vanished? Having voiced their expectations for Ashgabat, the aforementioned individuals offered nothing but words of admiration for the beauty of the capital's architecture.
Let it be emphasized that the sense of kinship and unity, linguistically reflected through such expressions as "My honor is the honor of my family, my tribe, my people" is a value deeply woven into the fabric of Turkmen's lives. That said, Washington's "warm welcome" has caused president Serdar Berdimuhamedow to enter the stage.
He started off by releasing a series of articles in English on one of the national websites, clarifying the unofficial stance of the Turkmen authorities as well as questioning the importance of the "Board of Peace.” Under the guidance of his experienced father, the politician then went on to relieve Meret Orazov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the US, Mexico and Canada of his duties.
By another decree, the Head of State dismissed Aksoltan Atayeva, the Permanent Representative of Turkmenistan to the UN in New York, passing the torch to Vepa Hajiyev, who'd previously served in a similar role in Geneva. Atayeva has also lost her posts as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cuba, Brazil and Venezuela.
Officially released facts, rather than rumors suggest that Orazov and Atayeva, aged 75 and 81 respectively, have been relieved of their posts "due to a transfer to another role."
Hats off to the latter for her dedicated service since 1995 and thumbs down to the former for the morally questionable acts he’s committed in the past 25 years or so. Over this period of time spent in the US, he’s earned love and appreciation from the locals owing to his investments in luxury real estate in different parts of America worth more than $6 million. Besides, Orazov, nicknamed "a ray of the golden sun" both by the opposition and his family members, has been enjoying a range of diplomatic privileges in the US, including tax exemption.
On one occasion, namely a meeting between US President J. Biden and Heads of Central Asian states held in 2023, he even seated himself on a throne-like chair meant for President Serdar Berdimuhamedow.
What is promising, though, is that the Turkmen leaders are no longer looking at things through rose-colored glasses, which is evidenced by the appointment of Esen Aydogdiyev to the post previously occupied by the corrupt official.
Until recently, Orazov's successor served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation.
Aydogdiyev, known for his statements emphasizing the strategic importance of enhancing the traditionally close relations between Russia and Turkmenistan and developing them in diverse directions, will now engage in building diplomatic ties between Turkmenistan and the US.
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Countries located between tectonic rifts (politically speaking) either build bridges with their neighbors or foster their isolation.