Why did Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who was not invited to the Trump Peace Council, fly to the USA

Why did the national leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People's Assembly) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who was not invited to the Trump Peace Council, fly to the USA? This issue is being actively discussed in expert circles, Asia Today reports.

Analysts are talking about the diplomatic failure of Ashgabat. Turkmenistan did not receive an invitation to the summit called the Peace Council, which was organized by Donald Trump in Washington on February 19. At the time when the presidents of the neighboring countries of Central Asia were included in the official list of participants, representatives of the Berdimuhamedov family were not invited. Experts consider this to be evidence of the real importance of Turkmen neutrality in the current foreign policy strategy of the White House.

In the absence of an official invitation, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov tried to establish contact through "presence diplomacy" by making an unofficial visit to Florida before the summit. While the leaders of other countries were preparing for political talks, Chairman Halk Maslahaty visited prestigious golf clubs and equestrian centers near Trump's residence. According to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, during the trip he managed to discuss investments in the development of sports infrastructure and agriculture with representatives of large American businesses, including billionaires Steve Wynn and William Koch.

Experts believe that the hidden nature of the trip was an attempt to attract the attention of the US administration in order to conclude a profitable deal. Ashgabat wanted to emphasize its key advantages: the importance of the country within the Middle Corridor and significant natural gas reserves. In this regard, the Turkmen side offered American investors to resume the TAPI gas pipeline project. However, official Washington did not respond to the visit of Berdimuhamedov Sr.: neither the State Department nor the American Embassy made any statements about this.

The Turkmen authorities expressed their dissatisfaction with this in the country's media space: resources reflecting the unofficial point of view of the leadership began to publish materials in which Trump's initiatives are called unpromising. The European Union promptly took advantage of this moment. In the conditions of continuing tension in relations with Washington, the Ambassador The EU in Ashgabat, Beata Peksa, stated that in Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov is considered "more than a welcome guest" in Brussels and invited him to choose a convenient date for his visit to Europe on his own.