New Turkmen leader gas assurance

February 14, 2007

Turkemenistan's new president vows to continue the policies of late predecessor, the self-styled Turkmenbashi, but also promi... In his inaugural address, President Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov reassured foreign energy firms that Turkmenistan would honour existing gas contracts. Rights groups are hoping that the relatively unknown Berdymukhamedov will take steps to allow a degree of political freedom - a move that would have been unthinkable by his predecessor.