TURKMENISTAN SEEN IN MOSCOW AS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COMPETITOR.

According to the Berezovsky-financed Nezavisimaya gazeta, “the U.S.A. plays a Turkmen card” against Russia. “The great wish is to let Turkmen gas reach Ukraine and East and West European countries. In that case, Russian gas would be ousted from those markets.” The commentary posits that the plan involving Turkmenistan forms part of a broader U.S. design to smash Russia’s natural monopolies. (Nezavisimaya gazeta, June 20) Nezavisimaya gazeta is the flagship daily of the Berezovsky-controlled media. With Boris Berezovsky’s recent appointment as CIS Executive Secretary, the daily’s views on Russian policies toward CIS countries bear close watching.–VS

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