Turkmenistan pays $120 mln for new Boeing jets

ASHGABAT, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan, a long-isolated Central Asian state, has ordered two new Boeing (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) passenger jets for a total of $120 million in cash, according to a government decree published on Wednesday.

Turkmenistan, unlike many other former Soviet states, has used its natural gas export revenues to replace its entire fleet of ageing Russian-made jets with Western-assembled aircraft since gaining independence from Moscow in 1992.

According to the decree published by the state media, Turkmenistan Airlines will buy two new Boeing 737-900ER midrange planes. It gave no other details of the deal.

Isolated under Soviet rule and then the two-decade reign of former President Saparmurat Niyazov, the nation is now trying to open up and attract foreign investment under its more reformist leader, Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. (Reporting by Marat Gurt, writing by Olzhas Auyezov, editing by Will Waterman)