No breakthrough achieved in 22 Oct talks on natural gas prices and volumes with visiting Russian President Medvedev.

Govt banned Turkmen students from resuming studies at Kyrgyz universities after June violence in country; followed govt barring hundreds of students from continuing studies at Bishkek’s American University in 2009.

President Berdymukhammedov mid-month proposed founding of privately-owned media to deal with issues of entrepreneurship, industrialisation; reiterated openness to creation of new parties through “thoughtful approach”.

U.S. high-level delegation, accompanied by U.S. energy, manufacturing firms visited country mid-June for talks on energy reserves and war in Afghanistan. U.S. Asst Sec State Blake cited some signs of progress in rights situation.

In address to national Council of Elders, President Berdymukhammedov 14 May reiterated calls to parliament to draft law on political parties to create multiparty system, suggested formation of agrarian party. President 14 May signed into law new criminal code approved by parliament 10 May. Amendments reduced maximum term of imprisonment from 25 to 15 years.

In 2 Apr visit, UNSG Ban raised with Turkmen president human rights issues, sustainable management of natural resources. 12 Apr MSF report on healthcare crisis in country produced severe backlash: Deputy Health Minister dismissed, research institutes on TB, AIDS shut down, individuals suspected of cooperation with MSF interrogated by state security.

Growing foreign interest in energy cooperation: visits for energy talks made 2 March by EU Special Rep for Central Asia Morel, 3-4 March by U.S. Special Envoy for Eurasian Energy Morningstar and 15-16 March by Russian FM Lavrov.

President Berdymukhammedov 18 Feb announced readiness to allow registration of other political parties in addition to pro-presidential Democratic Party of Turkmenistan, sole political party since independence. President 1-2 Feb visited France for talks with President Sarkozy, political and business leaders, focusing on energy, economic cooperation, regional security; international rights groups criticised French leadership for failing to press rights concerns.

Moving to further diversify natural gas exports, President Berdymukhamedov and visiting Iranian President Ahmadinejad 6 Jan inaugurated second pipeline between countries with capacity to export 20 billion cubic meters annually, potentially doubling exports. Govt 23 Jan lifted Aug 2009 travel ban for study-abroad students funded under Turkmen American Scholarship Program.

In Ashgabat 14 Dec President Berdymukhamedov and presidents of China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan inaugurated 1,833km pipeline with capacity to carry over 40bn cubic metres (bcm) of gas from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan to China, providing alternative to Russian transit routes for gas exports. Russian President Medvedev in 22 Dec Ashgabat visit negotiated resolution of 9-month gas supply freeze with deliveries set to resume by 10 Jan; Russia to receive up to 30bcm annually at European market prices. Govt 29 Dec signed energy agreements worth $10bn with companies from China, South Korea, UAE. 3 Dec Presidential decree gave amnesty to 3,934 prisoners on occasion of 12 Dec Neutrality Day; no political prisoners reportedly included. Médecins Sans Frontières, last international NGO active in country, 17 Dec announced terminating operations.