Turkmenistan

"While economic stimulus packages and other special budgetary measures are important for reviving the economy, regional economic cooperation could be another driver of growth," Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), told the meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. "There are enormous opportunities to promote intra-regional trade and investment in this region. SPECA provides an excellent framework for addressing a broad range of regional connectivity issues," she said, referring to UN Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA) Economic Forum, comprising Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Read more: Emerging From Economic Crisis At UN Forum | In this article: United Nations, Deforestation, International Federation of Journalists, Central Asia, Samoa, Unicef, Buddhist, and HMAS Tobruk

RSF said the state of press freedom in Iran is now only better than in Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea, "where the media are so suppressed they are nonexistent. "

Read more: Press Freedom Group Concerned over Europe, Welcomes U.S. Progress | In this article: United States, Democracy, Reporters Without Borders, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Europe, Iran, Israel, World Press Freedom Day, and Italy

"The toll of the war was very heavy. Around 20 journalists in the Gaza Strip were injured by the Israeli military forces and three were killed while covering the offensive," it said. At the bottom of the list were Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea "where media are so suppressed they are nonexistent," said Reporters Without Borders. Iran dropped to No. 172 from No. 166, with Reporters Without Borders saying the disputed reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had fostered a paranoia about journalists and bloggers. "Automatic prior censorship, state surveillance of journalists, mistreatment, journalists forced to flee the country, illegal arrests and imprisonment -- such is the state of press freedom this year in Iran,"

Read more: U.S. press freedom improves; Israel, Iran worse: survey | In this article: Reporters Without Borders, United States, Israel, Iran, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Gaza Strip, Afghanistan, Iraq, and House of Representatives

"We are dismayed by the government of Turkmenistan's continued denial of freedom of movement for ... Turkmen students," the statement said.

Read more: US complains about Turkmen student travel ban | In this article: United States, American University of Central Asia, Saparmurat Niyazov, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov, Kyrgyzstan, American University in Bulgaria, Rukhnama, and Hillary Rodham Clinton

But "despite stating multiple times that it did not oppose the students transferring from the American University of Central Asia and traveling to the American University in Bulgaria, Turkmenistan denied the students exit on Friday," the embassy's statement said.

Read more: US complains about Turkmen student travel ban | In this article: United States, American University of Central Asia, Saparmurat Niyazov, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov, Kyrgyzstan, American University in Bulgaria, Rukhnama, and Hillary Rodham Clinton

"We've only got a certain amount of time [in bilateral meetings], and so we touch on the most important things," assistant secretary of state Robert Blake Jr. told reporters after Clinton's talks in New York with Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. "And human rights is not as big an issue in Turkmenistan as it is in some of the other Central Asian countries," he added.

Read more: Human Rights Not High on Agenda As Clinton Meets With Leader of Repressive Regime | In this article: Hillary Clinton, U.S., State Department, Afghanistan, and Democracy

"Commissioning of the pipelines will be another important step in implementing a new energy strategy for Turkmenistan, which provides for both increased hydrocarbon production and the diversification of energy supplies to world markets," President Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov said in remarks televised Saturday.

Read more: Turkmenistan to open China, Iran gas pipelines | In this article: Russia, China, Iran, Gazprom, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov, All rights reserved, Natural gas, Hydrocarbon, and European Union

"Turkmenistan is a great country - look at our capital," says a street cleaner named Tursun.

Read more: Silk road state | In this article: Saparmurat Niyazov, Natural gas, and Hydrocarbon

"It is much better now, we can travel from one region to another without special permission," says a woman in Turkmenistan's largest market, Tolkuchka, in the outskirts of Ashgabad.

Read more: Silk road state | In this article: Saparmurat Niyazov, Natural gas, and Hydrocarbon