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COPYRIGHT 2008 Input Solutions
Elected President and sworn in on Feb. 14, 2007, in an event attended by Russia's then PM Mikhail Fradkov and Alexei Miller, who remains CEO of Kremlin-controlled Gazprom, Berdimuhamedov was from Dec. 21, 2006, an interim ruler suddenly chosen for this post by a group of special interests influenced by Moscow; until then he was merely one of Niyazov's deputy PMs and previously served as minister of health. In his Feb. 14 speech, he pledged to follow Niyazov's path and to boost energy ties with Russia, a top issue for Moscow as it vied with Washington for influence in the gas-rich state.
According to Fradkov who was the only source to the outside media on the contents of the new president's speech, Berdimuhamedov then said: "Relations between Russia and Turkmenistan will continue to strengthen in all spheres, including the energy, oil and gas and humanitarian sectors". Gazprom, a monopoly on Russian gas exports and now seeking to monopolise energy exports from the CIS, has long-term contracts to buy Turkmen gas at below market prices; but since early 2007, it has been more flexible in revising the price of Turkmen gas upwards. Reuters on Feb. 16, 2007, noted that there was no immediate report in any of Turkmenistan's tightly controlled state media on Berdimuhamedov's comments and Western reporters were not granted access. But Assistant US Secretary of State Richard Boucher attended the swearing in ceremony and managed to have a closed-door meeting with Berdimuhamedov.
The US and EU backed a plan - still their priority - to have a trans-Caspian corridor built for Central Asian crude oil and natural gas to reach Western markets and thus avoid Russia. China was pushing for the gas pipeline to its territory and India was (and remains) keen for access to Turkmen gas as well. Niyazov, though effectively economically dependent on Russia due to the gas exports, had declared his country, bordering Afghanistan and Iran, diplomatically "neutral" and minimised Turkmenistan's role in Moscow-backed regional groups like the CIS.
Berdimuhammedov, 50, a dentist by training but a bureaucrat by profession, took office immediately after election officials announced his victory. They said he had received nearly 90% of the vote. His special election on Feb. 11, 2007, was carefully choreographed by the state and its security services to...
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