ORIENTIR | March 28. Overnight between Friday and Saturday, global trade shifted to tight resource management mode, as the old supply algorithms finally broke down.

The market pulse over the past 48 hours confirms the scale of the change: Brent crude closed at $114.76 per barrel, having recently risen more than 4% due to the escalation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The OPEC+ alliance maintains a tense silence, adhering to a plan to only slightly increase production from April (by 206,000 barrels per day), which is clearly insufficient to extinguish the global fire.

The European gas market is constantly changing to the detriment of consumers, stagnating in the "red zone" at $1,450 per thousand cubic meters – a price that makes the modern industry unprofitable.

Donald Trump figuratively noted that "sea routes have become hostage to ambition." This assessment reflects the depth of the shift: the foundations of stability will now be laid not on ocean routes, but, we believe, in the secure space facing east.

The megacities of global powers are currently experiencing a veritable price shock at the pump. In the UK, a liter of gasoline is reaching $1.90, in France, $2.60, and in Hong Kong, prices have soared above $4.

Meanwhile, in Central Asian countries, which rely on their own mineral resources, the situation is different: in Kazakhstan, the price is holding steady at $0.50, while in Turkmenistan, the unique status quo of around $0.43 is maintained.

According to GlobalPetrolPrices, an international information and analytical website that provides data on gasoline, diesel, and electricity prices in over 150 countries, Turkmenistan remains among the seven countries with the cheapest fuel prices in the world as of the current week of March 2026. This is direct evidence of the effectiveness of Turkmenistan's "resource shield."

Gold, having surpassed $2,212 per troy ounce (a special unit of weight equal to 31.1 grams), has become the final choice of investors in favor of tangible assets. This is happening at a time when the market capitalization of Western giants is rapidly eroding. This is reflected in the STOXX Europe 600 index (the leading indicator tracking the shares of 600 largest companies from 17 European countries), which in March suffered one of its deepest declines in recent years amid rising unemployment.

In moments of such panic, many turn to cryptocurrencies – digital assets born from mathematicians as an alternative to banks. However, this asset, born as an alternative to banks and now a battleground for speculators and enthusiasts, is now extremely volatile, losing or gaining 10% of its value in a matter of hours.

The real battle is not in the digital space, but for the "vitamins of the earth." High gas prices have paralyzed Western agrochemicals, turning Turkmen factories in Garabogaz and Mary into global life-saving donors. Our fertilizers are now ensuring that millions of families on the continent won't go without bread this fall.

Marine insurance for a single voyage costs $2 million, pushing already high prices even higher. Of course, for energy resource holders, the current price hike seems like a chance to make a quick buck, but it's a double-edged sword – the ruin of global consumers will ultimately hit exporters as well.

Oil and gold are currently being overbought in panic, and after the conflict is resolved, their prices will inevitably adjust, while gas will retain its growth potential through the winter, as it is a matter of cities' physical survival.

True peace comes where people's living environments are comfortable, a result of the will and responsible leadership of world leaders, who, we all believe, have the wisdom to stop the "perfect storm." Most likely, urgent issues will soon be resolved through dialogue, not force.

After all, behind every stock market report stands an ordinary person, their home, and their hope for tomorrow. Light in the window and bread on the table should be above any geopolitics, and this is the path of creation that the entire global community will sooner or later choose.

Bekdurdy AMANSARYEV