China, Europe and other Central Asian economies, forming part of the loosely termed New Silk Road , or China s One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative. Meanwhile, trade corridors heading to South Asia are also at various stages of development, with the long-awaited Turkmenistan (TAPI) gas pipeline reportedly breaking ground in December ---- and the Turkmenistan (TAT) railway under construction. ...While gas is a key area for infrastructure development, the country has no incentive to diversify away from gas-fired power generation, so there will be little if any opportunities in other forms of power infrastructure, such as renewables. On the face of it, the country appears capable of funding and driving major projects through efficiently, owing largely to strong gas export receipts, sizeable foreign currency reserves and the will of the autocratic leadership, namely President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. For example, the new Ashgabat Airport, the Olympic complex and the Turkmenbashi seaport are all apparently on schedule. ...By ----, Turkish foreign direct investment (FDI) reached USD--bn, or one-fifth of Turkmenistan s total FDI, according to Eurasianet. However, highlighting key risks to investing and operating in Turkmenistan, complaints from Turkish firms regarding increased
...� Business Monitor International Ltd Page -- government pressure and threats of expropriation are on the rise. This could be indicative of bureaucratic nervousness as the country struggles with low energy prices and, coupled with the lack of transparency in or neglect of tendering processes, points to an already risky investment environment worsening. ...A realistic timeframe is difficult to estimate for project completion, considering Afghanistan and Tajikistan are limited by their lack of resources and technical ability, and are dependent on Turkmenistan to drive the project, which until recently has been done with little urgency. Further regional cooperation is in place with Iran to the north, with the two countries meeting in December ---- to discuss the construction of a new road bridge from Serakhs (Turkmenistan) to Sarakhs (Iran) across the Tejen River, as well as Iranian companies contributing to building the Serakhs-Tejen road and Ashgabat-Turkmenabat autobahn. Annual trade between the countries is nearly USD-bn, which could grow if better trade routes are established. ...As well as Turkmenistan s gas pipelines, Turkmenbashi will provide another access point through which Europe can diversify its energy dependency away from Russian gas supplies. Furthermore, the port will enhance the trade route to Turkey and beyond.
...Construction industry growth will slow slightly in ---- to -.- , from -.- in ---- and -.- in ---- due to economic headwinds related to falling gas revenues. However, our ---year forecast sees average annual growth of -.- and a value of TMT--.-bn (USD--.-bn) ...