EurasiaNet published an informative piece on the complicated relationships between state media outlets and regional cooperation. The recent summit between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan on water seemed like it yielded tangible results, but while in Tashkent, Turkmenistan’s president, Gurbangly Berdymukhamedov, stated that any water projects should be subject to international feasibility studies. Tajik media interpreted this as a rejection of any deals, while Uzbek media worried that the comment was dangerously cautious. Turkmen media, for its part, was vague.
Either way, it is clear that the opinions of state controlled media outlets should be closely watched, in addition to actual events and statements by leaders.
