Turkmenistan: The Risks of Having Only One Customer

Blanka Benkő-Kovács

Founder - Political Advisor, International Security and Defence Policy Expert

Among Central Asia's five republics, Turkmenistan is perhaps the most enigmatic. It possesses the world's fourth-largest proven natural gas reserves, follows a policy of permanent neutrality recognized by the United Nations, and remains one of the most politically isolated countries in the world. Yet despite this isolation, Turkmenistan has become indispensable to one global power: China.