Yagshygeldi Kakayev

He was born in Görogly District, Dashoguz province in 1959, and in 1982 he graduated from the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute with a concentration in oil and gas exploration and mechanization. In his early career, he worked with the All-Russian Research Institute for Gas and later became head of the institute's department of oil and gas.

From 2007 to 2008, he was the chairman of Türkmengaz, the state owned natural gas company. In 2010, he took over the role of Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers on an acting basis from Baymurat Hojamuhammedov, who had been dismissed by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow for "unsatisfactory performance".[2]

In 2012, Kakayev was appointed director of the (now defunct) State Agency for Management and Utilization of Hydrocarbon Resources.[3]

Kakayev served twice more as the Deputy Chairman on a full-time basis.[4][5][6] In 2017, he was dismissed by the president from this post because of weak control over the implementation of the country's oil and gas strategy.[7]

From 22 December 2017 until his death, he was an advisor to the President of Turkmenistan for oil and gas affairs.[1][8] In February 2020 he was given a "stern reprimand with final warning" for allegedly poor performance.[9]

Kakayev reportedly died from pneumonia on 8 July 2020. He had also reportedly suffered from diabetes.[8] One opposition media source stated, however, that Kakayev died of COVID-19.[10]

On 12 February 2021, the Turkmen Mejlis (parliament) decreed, at the request of President Berdimuhamedow, that the International Oil and Gas University be named in honor of Kakayev.[11][12][13]