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2020.01.004. ANNA SERBINA, BATYR NIYAZLIEV. TURKMENISTAN IN THE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT CORRIDORS // Condenced from "Mesto Turkmenistana v realizacii strategii "OPOP" [TURKMENISTAN'S PLACE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY "OBOR"]" by Anna Serbina, Aktualnye voprosy izucheniya istorii, mezhdunarodnyh otnoshenij i kultur stran Vostoka. Materialy mezhdunarodnoj nauchno-prakticheskoj konferencii, Novosibirsk, 2018, P. 38-44 & "Turkmenistan - serdce Velikogo shelkovogo puti: v zerkale istorii i sovremennosti [TURKMENISTAN - THE HEART OF THE GREAT SILK ROAD: IN THE MIRROR OF HISTORY AND MODERNITY] by BATYR NIYAZLIEV, Mezhdunarodnaya zhizn, Moscow, 2018, № 5, P. 111-120.
Keywords: Central Asia, Turkmenistan, China, the Great Silk Road, energy cooperation, Eurasian transport and logistics system.
Anna Serbina,
PhD(History), Associate Professor,
Department of International Relations,
Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management
Batyr Niyazliev,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan to the Russian Federation
Considering the place and role of Turkmenistan in China's "One Belt - One Way" strategy (OBOR) in the article "Turkmenistan's Place in Implementing the OBOR Strategy," Anna Serbina states that Central Asia (CA) is currently a region where the interests of such global actors are concentrated like US, China, Russia, European Union and Turkey.
A rising China became an important factor for the Central Asia region. China is ready to invest in the economy of the countries of Central Asia for the project "OBOR" which is proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. However, the strategy "the One Belt One Road" remains pending as it
competes with other construction projects of transport corridors in Eurasia on the Great Silk Road (US - the New Silk Road, Russia - the EURASEC, the SCO, the EU - TRACECA, Viking and INOGATE).
The author points out that the main task of China is the effective project management of OBOR. Within the framework of the project participating countries should build infrastructure and a system of technological standards, cooperate in constructing the international highways and establish a network of infrastructure in the sub regions of Asia. Moreover, the objective is the connection of Asia, Europe and Africa. It is necessary to create a unified space without barriers and establish common standards for countries which widely differ from each other and have many contradictions and conflicts.
Despite Chinese investments, "The One Belt - One Road" is attractive for countries of Central Asia because it allows access to the sea routes.
Turkmenistan is located in the middle of the major trade route in the world. The ancient Turkmen city of Merv used to be the so-called Gate to Central Asia and the main hub of the Great Silk Road (GSR). The Chinese One Belt - One Road (OBOR) initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Great Silk Road (GSR) initiative implemented by the President of Turkmenistan G. Berdimuhamedow coincide to a large extent. It is obvious that realizing the strategy, Turkmenistan will try to maximize the benefits for the national economy.
Turkmenistan's strategic objectives are reflected in The National Program for Social and Economic Development for 2011-2030. The Program is scheduled to be implemented in three phases.
- The first phase (2011-2015) of the program involves the implementation of projects connected with the International North-South Transport Corridor which provides the freight flows
between Northern Europe and the Persian Gulf, and the East-West Transport Corridor between South and South-East Asia, China and countries of South and Central Europe.
- The second phase (2016-2020) of the program provides further development of the country. This period implies the development of the national innovation system, the deepening of structural and sectoral reforms in the economy, the creation of developed market economy institutions, the expansion of private property and the integration of the latest advances in science, technology and innovation into the real economy. Economic diversification will predetermine the emergence of new industries and services based on the application of advanced technologies. Moreover, the process of fundamental development of regions and rural areas will be completed including new transport and communication systems.
- The third phase (2021-2030) implies that Turkmenistan will become one of the highly developed countries of the world, with a highly developed economy capable of integration with foreign countries. At the stage, Turkmenistan's economy will be fundamentally diversified, incomes and social conditions will reach the level of developed countries.
The author points out that, despite the fact that China and Turkmenistan have close economic relations, the contradictions of both sides are becoming increasingly apparent. It is reflected in growing economic dependence of Ashgabat from Beijing. China provides funds for projects either through joint ventures and production sharing agreements, or in exchange for property and it causes discontent of Ashgabat. However under the competition between transit countries, Turkmenistan is forced to accept the conditions. China constantly demonstrates the alternative route of the Silk Road to Turkmenistan and other transit countries. It is of great importance for China, because no country will be able to block the route in case of a political conflict. For example, in December 2015, the train from China arrived in Georgia via Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea by ferry, bypassing Iran,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Furthermore, there are contradictions on such matters as the cost and export of gas.
The narrow focus of Chinese interests in Turkmenistan does not allow the latter to solve a number of socio-political and environmental problems, as well as security problems. The country is already implementing international and regional projects in the energy sphere, transport and communications sectors (the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, the transnational gas pipeline Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India is under construction. The project is an important element for the economic development not only for Turkmenistan, but also for countries located along the gas pipeline route.
On the one hand, China's policy of increasing Turkmen gas extracting is restrained by the fact that Ashgabat is still not selling its oil and gas assets to anyone, because Turkmenistan tries to maintain state control over this industry, as it is the country's only major source of income. On the other hand, the strategic plans of the PRC to increase its share in Turkmen gas extracting are facilitated by the fact that Ashgabat itself willingly reserves significant volumes of gas for long-term supply to the PRC to pay of Chinese loans and, moreover, willingly concludes production sharing agreements. As a result, in the context of actual absence of external competition for Turkmen gas and extremely limited opportunities of Ashgabat over diversification of its gas exports, China has so far managed to steadily increase gas production in Turkmenistan, and reserve more and more gas for supply to China.
Turkmenistan is interesting to Beijing not only as a hydrocarbons-rich state, but also as an important transit region. Turkmenistan is focused on creating a single logistics center and rationalizing transport routes that would lead to the reduction in the value of the final good. New transport corridors should connect the various transport modes, therefore, reviving the Great Silk Road. The important links of the international transport corridors should become the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran
and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railways, airports, motorways, bridges across the Amu Darya, the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port, etc.
The author underscores the significance of the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port, which provides new opportunities for the countries of the region that do not have access to the sea. In particular, it allows sending goods along the Great Silk Road and attracting investments and tourists. The multimodal logistics center located here will provide a range of services for the storage and combined processing of containerized cargo delivered by air, road and railway transport, ensuring their transshipment to water transport and vice versa.
All this allows the author to conclude that Turkmenistan is able to turn into a large logistics center of Eurasia. However, Turkmenistan urgently needs highly qualified personnel to manage all the necessary processes on the ground. As a matter of fact, 1,300 Turkmen students pursued higher education in China in 2016. Moreover, the number of schoolchildren and students learning Chinese is growing.
Security becomes extremely important because of extensive borders of Central Asian countries with Afghanistan and activity of the radicals in the region. Such structures as the SCO, CSTO and private military companies can take responsibility for objects and roads. Ensuring the security in Afghanistan is of key importance for the region, which is currently the base for terrorists from Central Asia and a zone of total economic devastation.
Ashgabat initiated the creation of Trade & Transport Lapis Lazuli Corridor. The project involves the creation of an integrated transit and transport system of five countries (Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey). According to the plans of Turkmenistan Lapis Lazuli Corridor will be a continuation of the Great Silk Road. Thus, Afghanistan will become a bridge between South and Central Asia and Europe due to its geographical position. The International Sea Port of
Turkmenbashi should become one of the key elements of the corridor.
There are factors that limit the cooperation between Central Asia and China, such as interethnic contradictions and social instability, disagreements and contradictions between the countries. Therefore, the development between the actors within the frameworks of the project will have significant impact for the entire region. The state ambitions will decline because of the necessity of energy, logistics and industrial projects implementation.
The author concludes that Turkmenistan not only gives meaning to the development of transport and logistics structures of the country and consistently implements the Chinese "OBOR" initiative, but also initiates important logistics projects to establish links with less developed countries of South Asia and the Middle East. The advantages of the geographical location of Turkmenistan allow it to use profitably the national transport resource for the country's socio-economic development and regional and international cooperation.
In the article "Turkmenistan - the heart of the Great Silk Road: in the mirror of history and modernity" (2) Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Turkmenistan in Russia B.G. Niyazliev considers the largest transport projects of the century in the Central Asian region, the core of which is Turkmenistan. The author states that the legendary ancient route of the Great Silk Road is being revived in a new quality nowadays. It entails the idea of strengthening and reviving trade, economic and humanitarian-cultural connections between states and peoples. Turkmenistan is the heart of the project.
The author argues that new highways created with the active participation of Turkmenistan reinforce the role of the region in ensuring sustainable development in Eurasia. An extensive international transport and logistics system acts as an effective foundation for establishing a political and economic dialogue. The system has become a significant factor of the
integration processes. It performs the function of the Great Silk Road in the current context.
Turkmenistan implements the concept not only in building of large transport facilities, highways and transit corridors. The country also makes a major contribution to the development and strengthening political, trade, cultural and humanitarian relations expanding the ideological ground of the motto: «Turkmenistan is the heart of the Great Silk Road». A number of projects have been carried out in Turkmenistan in recent years. Projects such as the construction of international airports in Ashgabat and regional centers, the construction of modern highways, the construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway, which has become a part of the Asian International Transport Corridor, which goes to and from China's extensive railway network - to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region.
The functioning international railway line (Kazakhstan -Turkmenistan - Iran) can transfer up to 10-12 tons of cargo. It makes possible the integration with the transport infrastructure of Eastern and Southern directions and connection with the rapidly developing market. Turkmenistan considers that it is necessary to focus efforts on fulfilling the maximum realization of the potential that opens up for the states of Central Asia and the Caspian region in connection with the implementation of these large transport projects. It is essential for the effective functioning of the transport corridors South - North and East -West to use the possibilities provided by using railway lines Kazakhstan - Turkmenistan - Iran and Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Tajikistan and the combining automobile, railway and sea transit lines.
Creating the Trade & Transport Lapis Lazuli Corridor (Afghanistan - Turkmenistan - Azerbaijan - Georgia - Turkey) seems to be promising also. The countries have already discussed the main provisions of a five-party agreement. The transport corridor Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan - Iran opens up the real possibilities for the direct access to the Middle East. The agreement was signed in Ashkhabad in April 2011.
In the near future the International Sea Port in Turkmenbashi will start functioning.
It was common knowledge that celebrations of the beginning of a new stage of the TAPI pipeline building, power and fiber-optic lines construction along Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan (TAP), and putting in operation new railway Sehetabat - Turgundi took place in Mary Region of Turkmenistan and the Afghan city of Herat in February 2018. Thus, the legendary road revives in the new quality.
The TAPI project can be called as unprecedented in forming of energy security structure. It is indeed a move in the direction of implementation of Turkmen energy strategy. The strategy key points are complex modernization of fuel-and-energy industry facilities, forward-looking capacity building, establishing a diversified pipeline system to provide energy supply to the world market taking into account the interests of manufacturers, transit countries and consumers. After commisioning of 1840 km length pipeline TAPI, there will be an opportunity to transfer 33 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas. The pipeline's origin will be in "Galkynysh" natural gas field that ranks second on the planet in terms of reserves of "blue fuel." It will be possible to create thousands of jobs. New power transmission lines are expected to be stretched along the building pipeline TAPI. The transmission lines will supply not only the infrastructure of the pipeline with energy, but also enable energy transfer to Pakistan and other countries of South Africa through Afghanistan. Fiber optic lines of TAP will follow the same route. It is expected to reinforce the integration processes along with the development of the information and communication networks. The 814 km fiber optic line will stretch between Turkmenistan and Pakistan through Afghanistan.
Huge government investments are guided towards transport industry in order to upgrade the materials and technology and improve management using modern technologies. The country rolling stock in the rail transport has been fully updated in recent
years. Over a thousand new passenger and freight cars were purchased. The great importance attaches to the development of maritime and river transport infrastructure. Integrated work is carried out in improving cargo and passenger transportation, developing port and port objects and systematizing of state supervision over the safety of navigation. Seven tankers compiled with international standards have been bought and commissioned for getting oil and gas to the international markets. Also two contemporary ships ("Berkarar" and "Bagtyyar" type RO - PAX) have been built for cargo and passenger transportation in the Caspian Sea. Air fleet is under sequential upgrading and a developed network of air transportation is forming. The geography of air-routes is constantly evolving, it contributes to the building of "bridges of friendship" between different states.
Thus, the author stresses that integrated transport system which covers all logistics sectors and has clear technological and legal policies, agreed liason and coordination arrangements can influence geopolitical situation by steering the connections between its economic components and national strategies of the development of the state.
Turkmenistan promotes its role of an important logistics hub on the Silk Road in the current era. The Silk Road has become a vivid phenomenon of human civilization and its new capacity is embodied not only in the economic and logistics relations of the country, but also in its humanitarian contracts. Nowadays Turkmenistan declares himself as an international tourist center where the relevant infrastructure is being developed. Historical and cultural identity and rich heritage, including famous Turkmen carpets and Akhalteke horses, antiquities and unique ecosystems allow the country to increase its international rating in tourist sector. One of the most popular destinations is a journey along the route of the Great Silk Road. It includes the objects that are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
In conclusion, the author claims that Central and South Asia are active international cooperation area. For many centuries
the ancient trade routes had passed through these territories and united Asia and Europe. Currently, the states of the region occupy significant positions in the building of global economic partnership. The implementation of the projects in these directions opens up enormous prospects for optimizing transport, energy and humanitarian ties in the Eurasian space.
Author of the abstract - Elena Dmitrieva
TOHIR KURBONOV. NATIONAL MENTALITY OF THE UZBEKS: THE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE // The article was written for the bulletin "Russia and the Moslem World."
Keywords: mentality, historical memory, social image, social sentiment, value, ideal, principle, imperative, national character, language, mindset, behavior, nation-specific.
Tohir Kurbonov,
PhD(Philosophy), Associate Professor, Karshi State University, Uzbekistan
Citation: Kurbonov T. National Mentality of the Uzbeks: the Content and Strucure // Russia and the Moslem World, 2020, N 1 (307), P. 73-79.
Abstract. In the article, the author reflects upon the content and structural elements of the concept of "national mentality." According to the author, the peculiarities of the continuum have an impact on the national mentality, in the same way the national mentality acts as a development factor of the historical character of people. A thorough study of the content and structural elements of the national mentality, the study of it in the context of historical processes will help to experience the natural existence of the nation.
© Tohir Kurbonov, 2020
