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World Jewish News
New Israeli Ambassador in Turkmenistan - Here to Stay or Not?
20.04.2009
Over six months after his appointment, the new non-resident Israeli ambassador arrived in Ashgabat. But he might have a short stay in this position, and instead of him, a permanent representative of Israel will arrive in the Turkmen capital.
On Thursday, April 16, the acting Head of "Eurasia-2" Department (Central Asia and South Caucasus) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Shemi Tzur, who used to be an ambassador to Cyprus and Finland, arrived in Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat. Part time, since the autumn of 2008 on, he is officially in the position of non-resident Ambassador to Turkmenistan (permanent place of
residence - Israel). This Tsur's first visit to Ashgabat. He will stay here until April 19.
According to the protocol, the new Israeli ambassador will award credentials to the chairman of the Parliament Akdzha Nurberdyeva, and will be received by the Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. Perhaps Tsur will have several meetings with
representatives of the country's economic sector.
The Head of "Eurasia-2" Department serves as a non-resident ambassador not only in Turkmenistan, but also in Armenia and Tajikistan. In Yerevan, he presented his credentials in February this year, the next in line is Dushanbe.
His predecessor in this capacity was Ehud Gol' - a son of immigrants from Afghanistan, a former ambassador to Spain and Italy. In the late 1990's - early 2000's he served as Vice Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs department
for Western Europe. In January 2007, he was appointed the non-resident ambassador to Turkmenistan. But during all the cadence, Gol' had visited Ashgabat only once - in July 2008 on, when he presented his credentials. And already several months later he entered the position of the Ambassador to
Portugal.
Since the 1990s, Israeli embassies function only in two of the five republics of Central Asia - Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan does not even have a diplomatic mission in Israel. The bilateral relations from Ashgabat side are dealt with, at least nominally, by the Ambassador in Ankara. In the Foreign Ministry of Israel, non-resident ambassadors have traditionally been responsible for the relations with Turkmenistan. Such ambassadors with permanent residence in Jerusalem are similarly covering several countries of Central Asia and South Caucasus.
However, as already reported by the IzRus portal, now there is a chance of creating a permanent Israeli diplomatic mission in Ashgabat, especially after a certain revitalization of the bilateral relations in the year 2008, the increase in Jerusalem's activities in the region as a whole, as well as the change in leadership in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.
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