Strategic Importance of Turkmenistan for India

This article examines the strategic importance of Turkmenistan for India in respect of: energy resources; transit potential; and proximity to Afghanistan and Iran. It argues that India’s economic potential, its liberal-democratic values, its pluralistic structure, secular fabric, military strength, strong financial, scientific and technological capabilities make it the most desirable partner for all the five Central Asian republics. However, New Delhi’s policy towards Central Asia in general and Turkmenistan in particular needs to be reviewed and re-energised to manage the new set of challenges in the Af-Pak region, to ensure its energy security and to improve its connectivity with Central Asia.