Forming of political elite of Turkmenistan and its influence on the process of foreign policy decision-making

Author(s):  D.A. Belashchenko, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, dmi-belashhenko@yandex.ru

I.V. Ryzhov, Dr., Prof., National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, ivr@imomi.unn.ru

I.F. Shodzhonov, National Research Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, shodzhonov@inbox.ru

Issue:  Volume 45, № 4

Rubric:  Topical issues of world history

Annotation:  The Greater Central Asia region attracts attention of a large number of participants of contemporary international relations. This is influenced by the need of the modern world in new markets, new transport corridors and pipelines, new sources of hydrocarbon, etc. Experts predict that this region will become one of the most important in the 21st century. In this regard, scientific researches related to the states of Central Asia, their domestic and foreign policies is gaining popularity and prevalence. One of the most curious and at the same time little studied states of the region is Turkmenistan. The object of analysis in this article is the process of forming the political elite in independent Turkmenistan, its main stages, features and characteristics. The authors identify both features inherent in all states of Central Asia and also local specificity, which made it possible to form a largely unique political system. Separately, the authors consider the influence of the elites' factor on foreign policy decision-making and the nature of the foreign policy in general. In general, the post-soviet Turkmenistan managed to form a political system, which is a symbiosis of the traditional features of Central Asian societies and modern political institutions, to which practically no influence was exerted by the development of a modern system of international relations and the world order.

Keywords:  Central Asia, Turkmenistan, political elite, president, tribal factor, clans, foreign policy decision-making process.

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