On March 6, at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov announced a series of personnel reshuffles in the country’s diplomatic corps. The changes affected several key foreign policy areas simultaneously — the United States, Russia, and the Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan to the United Nations. Reported by Turkmen.News. Observers note that such reshuffles may indicate an attempt to refresh the diplomatic team against the backdrop of growing international attention to the situation in the country and the changing geopolitical environment.
New Ambassador to the USA
Esen Aydogdyyev has been appointed as the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the United States. Prior to this, he headed Turkmenistan’s diplomatic mission in Russia for less than three years. The former ambassador in Washington, Meret Bayramovich Orazov, has been released from his post and, according to official sources, transferred to another job. His further appointment has not yet been announced. Orazov held the post of Ambassador of Turkmenistan to the USA for over 25 years, making him one of the country’s longest-serving diplomats in this area. During his tenure, he represented Turkmenistan through several US administrations and participated in the development of bilateral political and economic relations. However, his name was also mentioned in journalistic investigations. Specifically, independent publications “turkmen.news” and “Gundogar” reported back in 2019 that during his years in the US, Orazov and his family might have acquired real estate in various American states worth more than 6 million dollars. According to sources, the properties are registered in the names of his family members. No official comments on this matter have been published by the Turkmen authorities.
Reshuffles in the UN Mission
Another important appointment took place in Turkmenistan’s diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York. The new Permanent Representative of the country is Vepa Hajiyev, who previously held a similar position at the UN office in Geneva. His predecessor, Aksoltan Atayeva, has been released from her post and transferred to another job. Atayeva is a Hero of Turkmenistan and one of the most prominent figures in Turkmen diplomacy. For many years, she represented the country at the UN arena and participated in promoting Turkmenistan’s international initiatives, including projects related to neutrality and regional security. At the time of the personnel changes, Atayeva turned 81 years old, and she is considered one of the country’s most experienced diplomats.
A Diplomat with Experience in the Special Services
The new Permanent Representative to the UN, Vepa Hajiyev, has a biography quite unusual for a diplomat. After graduating from Turkmen State University, he worked briefly for a private company before being invited to serve in the Committee for National Security, which was later reorganized into the Ministry of National Security (MNS). According to sources, Hajiyev is a career officer of the MNS and holds the rank of general. His transition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system took place in 2002, when a number of special services employees were directed to work in diplomatic structures. Such a practice is not unique to post-Soviet states: in many countries, officers of intelligence or counterintelligence services work in diplomatic missions. However, human rights organizations and representatives of the Turkmen diaspora often express concern that diplomatic structures might be used not only for foreign policy work but also for monitoring the activities of citizens abroad.
Who Will Lead the Embassy in Russia?
Following the transfer of Esen Aydogdyyev to the USA, the position of Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Russia remains vacant. Official information regarding who will take this post has not yet been announced. Russia remains one of Turkmenistan’s key foreign policy partners. The countries maintain active cooperation in the energy sector, trade, transport infrastructure, and humanitarian projects. Therefore, the appointment of a new ambassador in Moscow may become one of the most important personnel decisions of Turkmen diplomacy in the near future.
Experts note that the renewal of the diplomatic corps may be linked to several factors:
- A desire to strengthen control over key foreign missions;
- The need to adapt foreign policy to the new international situation;
- Personnel renewal within the diplomatic service system.
Observers draw attention to the fact that Turkmenistan’s diplomatic system remains one of the least transparent in the region. Personnel decisions related to the appointment of ambassadors and permanent representatives are, as a rule, made without public discussion and without explanation of the reasons for the change in diplomatic personnel. Human rights organizations and independent experts have repeatedly noted that in conditions of limited political openness, the country’s diplomatic service is often formed not only on a professional basis but also on the basis of personal loyalty to the state leadership. Furthermore, the presence of security service representatives in diplomatic missions raises additional questions about the exact role played by foreign missions — exclusively diplomatic or also related to the control over the Turkmen diaspora. Against this background, international observers increasingly talk about the need for greater transparency, accountability, and institutional reforms in Turkmenistan’s foreign service system. For now, the question remains open: will the current personnel reshuffles lead to real changes in the work of Turkmen diplomacy, or will they remain merely part of the traditional rotation within a closed state system.
