Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Turkmenistan’s true centre of power, has completed a rare trip abroad to France, yielding what a state-controlled news agency described as “important bilateral documents aimed at expanding cooperation between the two countries.”

The visit was not devoted solely to the topic of expanding exports of Turkmenistan’s abundant natural gas supplies to the European Union. The May 7 report distributed by Turkmenportal indicated that memoranda of understanding were signed with various French firms involving aviation, agriculture, urban development, water resource management and telecommunications, as well as one covering the development of gas reserves. The report did not delve into the specifics of the deals. 

It is uncertain whether memos will lead to substantive investment in the Turkmen economy, but they nevertheless are symbolically important, reaffirming the Turkmen leadership’s desire to open up the country after keeping Turkmenistan largely sealed off from the outside world for the first three-plus decades of its independent existence.

A focal point of Berdimuhamedov’s May 5-6 trip was a Turkmen-French economic forum attended by top executives of leading French firms. He also held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. In a speech at the forum, Berdimuhamedov emphasised that Turkmenistan was open for business.

“Turkmenistan is ready to offer French entrepreneurs all favourable conditions for investment and further expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation,” he stated, emphasising that the country was not just interested in attracting investment to its energy sector, but was also interested in exploring “the possibility of attracting small and medium sized French enterprises to carry on business in our country.”

Berdimuhamedov additionally appealed for French help in developing “Turkmenistan’s significant tourism potential,” before concluding by saying Turkmenistan possesses “all the prerequisites for systematic planning of the strategy of economic cooperation.”

Over the past year, Turkmenistan has sought to end its years of self-imposed isolation from the West. In March, the country initiated a groundbreaking gas swap deal to send natural gas westward via Turkey. 

This article first appeared on Eurasianet here.