(full article)
This Central Asian country has abolished a law requiring foreigners to deposit $50,000 US and own an apartment here if they want to wed a local.
Now, the only restrictions to marrying a Turkmen chap or lass is that foreigners must have lived in this impoverished nation for a year and can not tie the knot with anyone younger than 18, President Saparmurat Niyazov's office said Friday. The autocratic leader - who tolerates no dissent and has created a vast cult of personality around himself - imposed the restrictions in 2001.
The $50,000 had to be deposited with the state insurance company to serve as a "guarantee" for any children should the parents get divorced. His office did not say why the rules had been changed.
Still, finding the right Turkmen to marry may not be easy. Turkmen embassies turn down most foreigners' visa requests and the few who are allowed to come are closely watched. And any Turkmen spotted conversing with a foreigner faces questioning by security forces.
An attempt to find out how many Turkmen are married to foreigners was not immediately successful.
Well, I'm not looking, but it's always nice to know that options have improved
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