Turkmenistan: History

The region of present-day Turkmenistan is incorporated into the Russian Turkestan

Turkmenistan forms part of the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR).

Turkmenistan becomes a fully-fledged constituent republic of the USSR.

Turkman cotton production expands helping the economy boom.

A natural-gas pipeline to Iran is opens between the two countries.

An agreement is signed with Beijing on building a pipeline to supply Turkmen gas to China.

The pipeline opened for gas exports to China, breaking Russia's stranglehold on Turkmenistan's energy reserves.

Turkmenistan opens a second gas pipeline to Iran.

Afghanistan and Turkmenistan signs a 30-year gas agreement.

The four state gas companies of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India establish a company that will build, own and operate the planned 1,800 km Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline, which is expected to cost $10 billion.