Tajik analyst: “Turkmenistan will become a more open country in future”

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“In future, Turkmenistan will become a more open country,” head of the Tajik Association of Political Analysts executive board Abdugani Mamadazimov told a REGNUM correspondent commenting on the outcomes of the presidential election in Turkmenistan.

He also noted that one should not expect any extreme liberalization, but one can surely state that the isolation policy pursued by the late Turkmenbashi (Saparmurat Niyazov — REGNUM) will be changed. “Turkmenistan will gradually switch to the open doors policy,” the analyst believes.

Mamadazimov also noted that positive shifts are expected in regional cooperation between Central Asian countries with the start of the new presidency. “To my mind, Turkmenistan will be interested in intensifying regional ties. Remaining proponent of neutral position, Turkmenistan will stage by stage become a more active participant of the integration processes in Central Asia,” the expert believes.

According to Mamadazimov, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan will remain adherent to the traditional society, where along with contemporary rules of diplomacy rules of Oriental countries’ etiquette are maintained. “That is why Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rakhmonov in the difficult period for the Turkmen people decided to be near the new leadership of the country. Rakhmonov was the only president, who stayed for the night when the Turkmenbashi was buried. Rakhmonov’s decision to participate to participate in the inauguration of the new president was caused by his willingness to support the new Turkmen leadership. On the other hand, Tajikistan is interested in developing economic ties with Turkmenistan, in particular, in Turkmen gas imports. This is confirmed by the fact that the Tajik delegation to the inauguration ceremony includes the Tajik energy and industry minister,” Abdugani Mamadazimov said.