There has also been movement in foreign affairs, though the changes may not be as substantial as they seem at first glance. Niyazov insulated himself from the outside world but Mr Berdymukhammedov has visited a number of countries, including China, Russia and the United States, all of which were eager to welcome him, given the size of Turkmenistan’s gas reserves. He has also sought to improve relations with Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, which were tense under his predecessor.

Europeans were drawn even more to the possibilities of Turkmenistan as a business partner after the Turkmen government hired a British firm, Gaffney, Cline & Associates, to survey some of the country’s gasfields that had never been analysed by Western experts before. The company announced in October that the South Yolotan-

Osman field in south-eastern Turkmenistan is roughly the fourth- or fifth-largest field in the world.

Mr Berdymukhammedov has signalled interest in the idea of supplying gas to various destinations, including Europe, but has made no major new commitments. Nor has the country yet given foreign investors (with their expertise and their money) access to its natural resources. For now, everybody still waits for the president to break into his full stride.

© The Economist Newspaper Limited 2008