ABSTRACT
Unlike Russia and Iran, Turkmenistan is not a decisive actor on the world scene. A reclusive state with a population of five million and a short history of a few decades as an independent entity, it has been more a pawn than a player at the chess-board – to resort to a much used, misused and tired metaphor of the ‘Great Game’. The previous quotes refer to it as a contested territory, a reason for extending war in Afghanistan and a factor deciding the future of Eurasia. The chapter proposes to bring out Turkmenistan’s own policies and preferences as reflected in its decisions on the rich endowments of its energy resources with special reference to the gas pipelines.
