Turkmenistan has topped the list of the largest overseas markets for Turkish contractors, followed by Libya, Russia and Iraq, according to a recent study by the Turkish Contractors Association. Turkmenistan’s position can be explained by the cultural and ethnic ties Turkey shares with Central Asian states. These were strengthened in the early 1990s, when Turkey… [Read more]

Ongoing efforts by Turkmenistan to cultivate stronger political and economic relationships with countries beyond the Central Asian region are supportive of my Business Monitor colleagues’ long-held view that the government would seek out a more balanced and diversified foreign policy over the long run. This has been exemplified in the past few months following a… [Read more]

Moldova is in the midst of yet another political crisis. By this, I actually mean that the country has entered a new phase of a pre-existing crisis – a crisis that yields valuable lessons on the broader significance of political institutions to a country’s risk profile. Fortunately, this new scene in the ongoing drama has… [Read more]

The ‘Great Game’ for mastery of Central Asia appears to be moving in Russia’s favour, with Kyrgyzstan recently having decided to evict US military forces from its air base at Manas. While a final decision still hangs in the balance, the move, if implemented, would be a clear reversal for US policy in the region… [Read more]