5-6 March 2004: OSCE Organizes Training Seminars for Turkmen Border and Customs Officials
On 5-6 March 2004, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Center in Ashgabad, Turkmenistan and the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized training seminars in Ashgabad aimed at assisting Turkmenistan in improving the skills and strengthening the operational capacity of its border and customs authorities. These seminars, held for the second time in the last two years, focused on combating the smuggling of drugs, small arms, light weapons, and human trafficking. This year, the seminars in Ashgabad were preceded by similar seminars held at the regional administration level in late February-early March 2004 in Turkmenbashi, Dashoguz, and Mary.

Other issues covered at the training seminars, which were attended by officials from the Turkmen State Border and Customs Services, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, and various central and regional agencies, included the legal framework for border and customs control and cooperation with other relevant domestic and foreign agencies, as well as specific problems concerning border and customs control procedures. Experts in the field from France, Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Turkmenistan, as well as from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the International Organization of Migration Mission in Ashgabad, were involved in the training seminars.
Source: “OSCE Centre holds training seminars for border and customs officials in Turkmenistan,” OSCE Centre in Ashgabad press release, 5 March 2004, OSCE website, <http://www.osce.org/news/show_news.php?id=3907>.
This item originally appeared in the NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

17-18 October 2003: Turkmenistan Hosts Conference on Borders, Transit, and Trade
On 17-18 October 2003, a conference entitled “Uncertainties and Opportunities for Central Asia: Borders, Transit and Trade” was held in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Preceded by a December 2002 preparatory meeting in Berlin, the international conference was jointly organized by the Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum (CPPF), United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and Turkmenistani government. Attendees included foreign ministry, customs, and border control representatives from Central Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan, as well as representatives of the institutes of strategic studies of the Central Asian states. A number of scientists and experts, as well as officials from the European Commission and the World Bank also attended.

The meeting focused on urgent issues related to border security and compliance with customs procedures in Central Asia, and addressed such issues as the problem of trans-border transit and the potential conflicts between border security and interstate cooperation, and the use of the region’s water and energy resources. The participants also identified regional cooperation in international trade as one of the prerequisites for economic development in Central Asian.

As Assistant UN Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Turk noted, the Ashgabat conference was an important step in creating a mechanism to resolve problems and create conditions for broad cooperation in the war against such dangerous threats as terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking.

The next meeting gathering Central Asian representatives and UN, OSCE, and CPPF officials will be held in early 2004 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Source: "Turkmenistan Hosts Conference on Borders, Transit, and Trade," NIS Export Control Observer, November 2003, CNS website, <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.
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25 June 2003: United States Donates Vehicles to Turkmenistan
On 25 June 2003, the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan presented 40 new UAZ jeeps to First Deputy Commander of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan Colonel Annageldy Gummanov.[1,2] Colonel Gummanov thanked the U.S. representatives for providing technical assistance and noted that the UAZ vehicles would be invaluable for Turkmenistani border guards who patrol the rugged terrain of the state border.[2]

The donation of vehicles was part of the U.S. government assistance program “Export Control and Related Border Security” (EXBS) and was intended to increase the effectiveness of the Turkmenistani State Border Service “in preventing the illegal movement of people and material related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) across the border of Turkmenistan,” according to the U.S. Embassy’s press release.[1,3] The EXBS program in Turkmenistan was launched in 2001, when the U.S. government provided a patrol boat to the coast guard forces of the State Border Service of Turkmenistan positioned on the Caspian Sea.[2] The EXBS senior advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Ashkhabad, Stephen Parker, told the ITAR-TASS news agency that in the near future, the U.S. government would donate satellite navigation devices to Turkmenistani border guards.[2] In addition, under the auspices of the EXBS program, special training sessions were organized for Turkmenistani border guards and custom officials in July of 2003.[2] 
Sources:
[1] “U.S. Embassy Presents 40 UAZ jeeps to Turkmen Border Service,” U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; Official Press Release, PAS No. 95, 25 June 2003, <http://www.usemb-ashgabat.rpo.at>.
[2] “SShA peredali v dar turkmenskim pogranichnikam 40 avtomobilei UAZ” [U.S.A. donated 40 UAZ vehicles to the Turkmenistani border guards], ITAR-TASS, 25 June 2003; in Integrum Techno database, <http://www.integrum.com>.
[3] For a concise description of the EXBS program see: “United States Export Control Initiatives,” NIS Export Control Observer, No. 7, July 2003, pp. 6-8; <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.
This item originally appeared in the NIS Export Control Observer: <http://www.cns.miis.edu/pubs/nisexcon/index.htm>.

Archived Report on Export Controls in Turkmenistan

Parts of this report were originally prepared by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in January 1998 under a grant from the United States Department of Energy's Office of Nonproliferation and Arms Control. The views expressed in this report are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Energy or the United States Government.

Introduction
Turkmenistan appears to have one of the most underdeveloped export control systems in the entire NIS, though the almost complete lack of information available makes it difficult to make this statement with absolute certainty. However, Turkmenistan does not have the industry or industrial capability for the production of nuclear, dual-use nuclear, or other WMD commodities. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Turkmenistan is one of only three countries in the NIS with no known nuclear or uranium mining activities.

In his statement on Turkmenistan's neutral foreign policy, President Saparmurat Niyazov noted, "Turkmenistan will not produce or disseminate nuclear, chemical, bacteriological or other weapons of mass destruction. It will not promote the design of new forms of technologies for their production. Turkmenistan will join in collective efforts to guarantee the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction."[1] In addition, Turkmenistan's military doctrine calls for a position of permanent neutrality, states that Turkmenistan will not deploy military bases of foreign states on its territory, and pledges that the country will not possess, produce, or proliferate nuclear arms.[2] Thus, at the very least, Turkmenistan has a stated high-level political commitment to nonproliferation. Given the iron hand with which President Niyazov rules the country, this is not insignificant.

As is the case with many countries in the Southern Tier of the NIS, by the nature of its geographic location and extensive borders, Turkmenistan is at particular risk for becoming a transit country for illegal exports. Turkmenistan has a 744-km border with Afghanistan and a 992-km border with Iran.[3]

Legislation
According to news reports from 1992, a government resolution signed on 18 July 1992 banned certain goods from being imported or exported altogether. These goods include "weapons and ammunition, military hardware and materials and parts for their manufacture, explosives, nuclear materials, ionizing sources, machinery and equipment for producing armaments, precious metals, alloys or articles made from them." At a September 1996 conference in Washington, DC, Turkmenistani officials claimed not to know of such a list, and said that it was unlikely that such a list ever existed.[4] Given that Turkmenistan has armed forces, it is difficult to imagine a regulation banning the import of weapons and ammunition. Even if such a list does exist, it is likely that it refers to a ban on import and export of such items by non-state entities.

Presidential Decree, November 1994
This decree reportedly outlines all goods that require a license for export. However, sensitive goods and technologies are not included.

Presidential Decree, 18 July 1997
This decree approved five lists of goods for which the import and export by individuals is restricted. Although this is an export control decree, it is not a nonproliferation export control decree. The primary aim of this decree is to protect Turkmenistan's domestic market by controlling the flow of items into and out of Turkmenistan. The lists of restricted exports and imports are different for enterprises. Individuals are forbidden from exporting or importing a number of items, including the following:

• Military arms, ammunition, military equipment and spare parts and materials used for military purposes;
• Nuclear devices, including heat emission devices;
• Ionizing radiation devices;
• Technology and special equipment that could be used for military production;
• Poisons.

In addition, individuals are forbidden to export or import narcotics, pornography, and publications and audiovisual materials that could "harm Turkmen political and economic interests, national security, and the population's health and morality."

The types of items that require permission for export are widely divergent and include firearms, antique carpets, and Turkmen sheep dogs. Each type of item requires permission from a different Ministry. The export of firearms requires permission from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, for example, but the export of carpets requires permission from the State Turkmenkhaly Company.[5]

Criminal Code
A new criminal code was scheduled to have been considered in 1997. It is not clear whether or not it includes penalties for violations of export control regulations.[6]

Licensing Process
Export and import licenses are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations. Licenses are only granted to enterprises involving foreign investments and branches and missions of foreign firms.[4]

Sources:
[1] Embassy of Turkmenistan Web Site, http://mh102.infi.net/~embassy/.
[2] "Turkmenistan Parliament Amends the Essentials of Turkmenistan's Military Doctrine," Former Soviet Union Fifteen Nations: Policy & Security, October 1996.
[3] CIA World Fact Book 1996, online edition, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html .
[4] Liam Anderson, "The Central Asian States," Restraining the Spread of the Soviet Arsenal: NIS Nonproliferation Export Controls, Status Report, 1996.
[5] "Turkmenistan: New Regulations on Importing/Exporting Goods by Individuals," US Embassy Cable, 31 July 1997, Embassy of Turkmenistan Web Site, http://mh102.infi.net/~embassy/dbit.html.
[6] Turkmenistan Monthly – September, BISNIS website, http://iepnt1.itaiep.doc.gov/ns-search/bisnis/cables. {Updated 2 April 2001 KB}

	Updated May 2006