Turkmenistan Raises Gas Price, Accuses West

In recent days, the Turkmen government has accused Western diplomats and organizations of trying to implement a plot to overthrow the government. It also indicated that a Turkmen citizen was given training in the Ukraine to destabilize the country and bring about a pro-Western “Orange Revolution” as occured in the Ukraine. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has substantially increased the price of Turkmen natural gas being re-sold to the Ukraine by Russia.

Turkmen official media recently issued a lengthy article detailing the illegal activities carried out by several French, British, and Turkmen citizens involving espionage and other efforts to incite “public dissatisfaction.” It indicated that some of the Turkmen citizens involved had already committed previous crimes and one had confessed.

Another report was issued by Turkmen media indicating that the contract to provide natural gas to the Ukraine for $65/1000 cubic meters will expire in two months and that the new contract, which has yet to be signed, would have to be for $100/1000 cubic meters. It is not entirely clear as to whether or not these two developments are related. A report earlier today from the Russian Information Agency indicated that domestic natural gas prices were to substantially rise in the Ukraine on July 1st and this had provoked large demonstrations in major Ukrainian cities.

Meanwhile, the Chinese People’s Daily newspaper printed an article earlier today on China’s efforts to import more natural gas. The article indicated that a pipeline will be built from Turkmenistan to China, across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Some analysts have suggested that Turkmenistan is less concerned about supplying gas to the Ukraine, which has been late on payments in the past and sometimes had to pay using materials rather than cash, when it can sell natural gas to China instead.

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