Turkmenistan
Monday 13 July 2020
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![Embassy spokesperson]()
Embassy spokesperson
Embassy of Turkmenistan, Moscow
“It’s an absolute lie [that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has died],” said a representative of the embassy. “We refute these reports.”
Read more...Following reports that Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had died, Turkmen embassy officials called the claim an “absolute lie.” And while most signs point towards Berdimuhamedov being alive, in closed societies like Turkmenistan, rumors of the president’s demise are difficult to verify. -
![Alexander Nekrassov]()
Alexander Nekrassov
Political Analyst
“Liberalism worships two things: money and debauchery ... Eventually, this worship made all democracies morph into atheistic regimes, who’ve been witch-hunting all of the major religions.”
Read more...A Russian political analyst claimed on state TV that liberal democracies morph into atheistic regimes which conduct religious witch hunts. But the evidence shows that illiberal and authoritarian regimes, including Russia itself, pose a far greater threat to religious freedom. -
![Sergei Lavrov]()
Sergei Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister
"I understand that some countries would like to forget as soon as possible about the role that they played in the years of prior to World War II. However, I deem those attempts to accuse us of militarizing public opinion as offensive."
Read more...Many countries distort or omit inconvenient facts from their pre-World War II history, but Russia has all but eliminated the most difficult discussions from its state education system. One man was even fined for posting factual information. -
![Semyon Bagdasarov]()
Semyon Bagdasarov
Director, Center for Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
“Objectively, for the Americans contacts with ISIL are more interesting… – for spreading sabotage actions beyond the pales of Afghanistan. On the border with Turkmenistan there is a major offensive is being cooked by Islamic State and allied groups. That is where they may surface.”
Read more...The Afghan Special Forces confirmed they conducted the operation arresting Islamic State members and transferring them under the Afghan National Directorate of Security control. The U.S. was not involved. -
![Sergei Nosov]()
Sergei Nosov
Governor of Russia's Magadan region
“I note that we’ve never, even in the days of tsarist Russia, killed people for dissent. This, by the way, is the great strength of our people.”
Read more...Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union have persecuted dissidents, sometimes using capital punishment. Modern Russia has abolished the death penalty, although a number of dissidents and journalists have been murdered, their cases remaining unsolved. -
![Semyon Slepakov]()
Semyon Slepakov
Russian TV Comedy host and singer
“Russia is ready to host the World Cup. The stadiums are open. The cops are polyglots. That is a quick recap of many years of work.We're not going to lose face in front of the planet. It’s not for nothing we terrified [the planet] with a missile. In general, all is well. But there is only one “but”: Our team, frankly, is sh-t.”
Read more...The International Federation of Football Association, the world soccer authority better known as FIFA, ranked Russia’s national team #70 and labeled it a “worst mover.” -
![Frants Klintsevich]()
Frants Klintsevich
First deputy chairman of the defense and security committee of the Russian Federation Council
“The U.S. has a direct interest in destabilizing the situation in Central Asia, including by using IS… The Americans believe that this will allow them to unravel the situation in Russia.”
Read more...The U.S. is fighting against Islamic State, not using it. Washington is also cooperating with Central Asian states to enhance security for the region -- including Russia -- despite Moscow’s objection to such security cooperation and its destabilizing military actions along its own periphery. -
![Yuri Podoliaka]()
Yuri Podoliaka
Contributor to Voyennoye Obozreniye
“Today, Washington is losing allies even faster than the USSR did during its period of decline. Old and experienced [U.S.] partners are turning in the direction of Russia and China, and many are simply waiting for the right moment to escape the sinking ship of American ‘democracy’."
Read more...The U.S. continues to retain and support its allies while enjoying their backing and cultivating new partners, including those that have or are turning away from Russia. -
![Yuri Shvytkin]()
Yuri Shvytkin
Deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma’s defense committee
“Today, unfortunately, it can be noted that the United States is trying to establish a loyal regime [in Afghanistan] under the pretext of fighting terrorism. Our country takes the position that the United States (should) withdraw its troops from Afghanistan; the legitimately elected government of Afghanistan takes principally the same position. U.S. success in the fight against terrorism, especially in Afghanistan, is not particularly discernible.”
Read more...U.S. and Afghan forces have, in fact, made major counterterrorism gains, and Afghanistan’s government supports fully the U.S. military presence and the newly unveiled U.S. strategy. -
![Мikhail Aleksandrov]()
Мikhail Aleksandrov
Expert with the Center for Military and Political Research, MGIMO
“U.S. actions in Afghanistan are destabilizing, harmful to neighboring countries but above all to Afghanistan itself… ISIS was created by the United States to solve geopolitical problems in the Middle East, [but] now they see it’s not working there and are preparing to move ISIS to Central Asia.”
Read more...The U.S. is actually fighting Islamic State and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, contributing to the region’s security, as well as its economic and democratic development. -
![Myrat Archayev]()
Myrat Archayev
head of Turkmenistan's state energy company, Turkmengas
"The total natural gas reserves of Turkmenistan are estimated at 50 trillion cubic meters."
Read more...Turkmenistan undoubtedly has huge reserves of natural gas. But there is not any proof to support Myrat Archaev’s claim his country has 50 trillion cubic meters of gas. If that was true, it would mean Turkmenistan would have the largest gas reserves in the world, surpassing Qatar, Iran, and Russia. -
![Zamir Kabulov]()
Zamir Kabulov
Russian president’s special envoy to Afghanistan
“The Taliban… no longer nurtures the ideas of trans-border jihad; in this sense they act as Afghanistan internal armed opposition seeking to change the situation -- so far by force.”
Read more...The Russian president’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Moscow considers the Taliban a legitimate part of a resolution of the country’s conflict because the group “no longer nurtures the ideas of trans-border jihad.” Taliban leaders, however, recently posted a video vowing to wage jihad until the end, and the group continues deadly attacks on civilians.
