Friday, December 22, 2006

Turkmenistan: Assets of Late President Niyazov

Map Turkmenistan, CIA Factbook
Turkmenistan: Assets of Late President Niyazov (Taken Question)

Question: Has the U.S. frozen the assets of late Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov?

Answer: Such matters fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Treasury and the Office of Foreign Asset Control. President Niyazov was never designated under an Executive Order, which is required for the freezing of assets under U.S. law.

2006/1137, Released on December 22, 2006

Taken Question, Office of the Spokesman, Washington, DC, December 22, 2006

Annexed by Russia between 1865 and 1885, Turkmenistan became a Soviet republic in 1924. It achieved its independence upon the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. President Saparmurat NIYAZOV retains absolute control over the country and opposition is not tolerated.

Extensive hydrocarbon/natural gas reserves could prove a boon to this underdeveloped country if extraction and delivery projects were to be expanded. The Turkmenistan Government is actively seeking to develop alternative petroleum transportation routes in order to break Russia's pipeline monopoly. CIA FACTBOOK

Technorati Tags: and or and , or

No comments:

Post a Comment