kaltenbrunnerpress - 1995 interview with the President of Turkmenistan

My Interview with the President of Turkmenistan in his office at the presidential palace on August 23, 1995, Ashgabat

While serving as an Assistant to the President of Turkmenistan in August 1995, I prepared an exclusive interview with the President of Turkmenistan, Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov (Turkmenbashy), for Russian Television and television networks across the CIS countries.

In this interview, the President of Turkmenistan provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's first years of independent development, evaluating its achievements, emerging challenges, and the strategic objectives facing the young republic. Particular attention is devoted to the formation of a new model of state governance during a period of profound political and economic transformation.

A significant portion of the interview focuses on the economic consequences of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Turkmenistan's transition to independent statehood. The discussion addresses the establishment of a national financial system, the strengthening of economic sovereignty, and the search for the country's own path toward modernization.

A separate section of the interview examines the rational management of Turkmenistan's abundant natural resources. President Niyazov outlines his vision for the development of the oil and gas sector, economic diversification, the attraction of foreign investment, and the expansion of international energy cooperation.

Special emphasis is placed on the social policies of the newly independent state. The interview discusses programs designed to support the population, the development of education and healthcare, housing construction, and measures aimed at maintaining social stability during a period of large-scale reforms.

The President also reflects extensively on the preservation of the Turkmen people's national culture, historical heritage, and spiritual traditions. In his view, independence created new opportunities for the revival of national identity, language, literature, and the cultural values that form the foundation of the country's statehood.

The interview further explores the principal directions of Turkmenistan's foreign policy. President Niyazov emphasizes the country's commitment to building constructive relations with all nations on the basis of mutual respect, peaceful cooperation, and non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.

Particular attention is devoted to the development of Turkmenistan's distinctive model of state-building in the post-Soviet era. The President explains the rationale behind pursuing an independent political and economic course that, in his opinion, reflected the nation's historical experience, cultural traditions, and unique national identity.

Today, this interview stands as an important historical document of its time, reflecting the official perspective of the Turkmen leadership on the process of building an independent state during the mid-1990s. It offers researchers and historians valuable insight into the political atmosphere of that period and the strategic priorities that shaped the country's development.

The preparation of this televised interview formed part of my professional responsibilities within the Office of the President of Turkmenistan and my work in coordinating relations with the mass media. The program was produced for broadcast on Russian Television and television networks throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), presenting the official position of the Turkmen leadership to an international audience on the key political, economic, and social issues confronting the country following the restoration of its independence.