Afghanistan–Turkmenistan relations explained

Afghanistan–Turkmenistan
Party1:Afghanistan
Party2:Turkmenistan
Mission1:Afghan Embassy, Ashgabat
Mission2:Turkmen Embassy, Kabul
Envoytitle1:Chargé d'Affaires
Envoy1:Fazal Muhammad Sabir
Envoytitle2:Ambassador
Envoy2:Hoja Ovezov[1]

The contemporary borders of the nations of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are the products of The Great Game in Central Asia between the British and Russian Empires.[2] As a result, the two countries have some cultural ties, with Afghanistan having 1.2 million Turkmen,[3] the third largest Turkmen population behind Iran and Turkmenistan.

Afghanistan depends on Turkmenistan for meeting a large part of the country's electricity needs. At present, Afghanistan imports more than 320 million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year from Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan opened a major railway link to Afghanistan in 2016 to facilitate fuel exports.[4]

Like the rest of the world, Turkmenistan has also not officially recognized the Taliban government, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as legitimate. However, Turkmenistan has de facto diplomatic relations with the Taliban government and has facilitated the Taliban's appointment of diplomats to the Afghan Embassy in Ashgabat. The current chargé d'affaires is Fazal Muhammad Sabir, appointed in March 2022.[5] [6] [7]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ambassador of Turkmenistan in Kabul Held Talks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan . . 6 April 2022 . 29 September 2021.
  2. Web site: How the British and the Russians Drew the Afghan-Turkmen Border. The Diplomat.
  3. Web site: 2019-09-10 . The Ethnic Groups Of Afghanistan . 2022-04-21 . WorldAtlas . en-US.
  4. News: Turkmenistan launches railway to Afghanistan to boost exports. Reuters.
  5. Web site: Turkmenistan: Berdymukhamedov passes the mantle (and phone) . . 6 April 2022 . 22 March 2022.
  6. Web site: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan . Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Afghanistan) . Appointed by IEA MFA, Mr. Mohammad Fazel Saber was introduced in a ceremony as chargé d’affaires to his colleagues at the Afghan Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, yesterday . 6 April 2022 . 19 March 2022.
  7. News: IEA introduces caretaker ambassador to Turkmenistan . 6 April 2022 . . 17 March 2022.