Turkmenistan

In April, Turkmen authorities began cracking down on salons, enforcing a ban on a range of beauty services.

Although all indications are that Serdar intends to follow in his father’s footsteps, Turkmenistan is politically entering uncharted waters.

Will a change in president mean a change in leadership? And even if so, can that change in leadership measurably affect the challenges Turkmenistan faces?

It may turn out that Serdar is just like his father, and nothing will change in Turkmenistan. But new opportunities for engagement amid leadership change are worth exploring.

President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov did not explicitly state he would step down, but the implication seemed clear when he called for early elections and said it was time to open the way for "young leaders."

At the EU-Central Asia Economic Forum, the EU kept its rhetoric uncontroversial. However, Central Asian countries signaled they may respond well to more ambitious EU goals.

At the end of the day the WHO has to deal with Turkmenistan as it is. That doesn't mean sharp critiques of both aren't also necessary.

The World Bank approved a COVID-19 loan for Turkmenistan, despite journalists reporting on the pandemic there being thrown in jail.

Presidential meetings in Central Asia are often dismissed for a lack of concrete results and for their exclusively ceremonial character. But there are good reasons to take the latest meeting seriously.

The Central Asian republics can learn from the experience of Southeast Asia and use the crisis in Afghanistan to spur forward regional cooperation at a time of great power competition. 

Following summits in 2018 and 2019, the 2021 meeting comes amid a great number of regional difficulties and concerns.

The silver medal is Turkmenistan’s first since independence in 1991.