Weekly Geopolitical Summary, 14 October 2010

• Head of Turkmengaz Fired and Replaced with Deputy
• CYBERCOM to Go Operational This Month
• Govt Takes over Hungarian Plant after Deadly Toxic Spill
• French Transport and Oil Industry Strikes Risks Radicalization
• Bolivia to Start Lithium Production in October
• ISAF's Torkham AfPak Border Crossing Reopened
• Iran's President Visits Lebanon in Clear Attempt to Boost Hezbollah

Head of Turkmengaz Fired and Replaced with Deputy

Local media in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat reported on 8 October that Turkmenistan's President Gurbangulu Berdimuhammedov fired the head of the state-run Turkmengaz for mismanagement (specifically for "serious miscalculations"), and replaced him with Dovlet Mommayev, who until now had served as the company's deputy chairman. Turkmengaz head Nuri Mukhamedov was fired by presidential decree on 8 October. It is unclear whether the deputy head is a long-term or temporary replacement. Mukhamedov had served in the position for only one year, and his predecessor had been fired for the same reasons.

Analytical Note: Gas exports are Turkmenistan's primary revenue source, and Turkmengaz is the largest company in Central Asia that produces and supplies natural gas. According to the country's president, Turkmenistan has 24.6 trillion cubic meters of gas reserves (though some have contested this figure, saying it is overstated). Local media indicated that the Turkmen president had recently been critical of Mukhamedov for the slow pace of development for new gas fields and pipelines. Turkmenistan is currently participating in discussion for new gas pipelines, including a Caspian Sea pipeline to Russia via Kazakhstan; the Caspian Sea Nabucco pipeline through Azerbaijan; and the TransAfghan pipeline to India via Pakistan. In 2009, a Turkmen pipeline to China went operational, as well as an Iranian branch of that pipeline.