BERDIEV SACKED; MEREDOV NEW FOREIGN MINISTER

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001049

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/11
TAGS: PREL PGOV TX
SUBJECT: BERDIEV SACKED; MEREDOV NEW FOREIGN MINISTER

(U) CLASSIFIED BY CDA ERIC T. SCHULTZ, REASONS 1.5 (B)
AND (D)


1. (C) PRESIDENT NIYAZOV OPENED THE SEVENTH SESSION OF
THE MEJLIS (PARLIAMENT) JULY 7 WITH A SPEECH IN WHICH HE
HARSHLY CRITICIZED AND THEN DISMISSED FOREIGN MINISTER
BATYR BERDIEV. NIYAZOV ACCUSED BERDIEV OF EXCESSIVE
DRINKING, AND SAID THAT AS A RESULT OF BERDIEV'S PERSONAL
FAILINGS HE HAD BEEN INEFFECTIVE IN MANAGING EITHER THE
FOREIGN MINISTRY OR THE COUNTRY'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS. IN
PARTICULAR HE CITED CORRUPTION IN THE MINISTRY'S CONSULAR
SECTION'S VISA ISSUANCE AND THE MINISTRY'S FAILURE TO
MAKE PROGRESS ON RESOLVING THE DISPUTE WITH AZERBAIJAN
OVER CASPIAN DEMARCATION. HE ALSO CRITICIZED BERDIEV FOR
PROMOTING PEOPLE FROM HIS OWN REGION AND FAILING TO
IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE A GOOD FIRST DEPUTY MINISTER.
NIYAZOV PROMISED BERDIEV AN ONWARD ASSIGNMENT BUT GAVE NO
INDICATION WHAT IT WOULD BE.


2. (C) NIYAZOV APPOINTED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MEJLIS,
RASHID MEREDOV TO BE THE NEW FOREIGN MINSTER AND NAMED
THE GOVERNOR OF BALKANABAT PROVINCE (TURKMENBASHI)
REJEPBAY ARAZOV AS MEREDOV'S REPLACEMENT. MEREDOV HAD
ONLY BEEN SPEAKER, NOMINALLY THE NUMBER TWO POSITION IN
THE GOVERNMENT, SINCE APRIL. ARAZOV HAD BEEN GOVERNOR OF
BALKANABAT SINCE LAST JANUARY, WHEN HE WAS TRANSFERRED
FROM OIL AND GAS MINISTER. IN THE NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN
REPORT OF THE SPEECH, NIYAZOV IS QUOTED AS TELLING
MEREDOV THAT KNB CHAIRMAN MUHAMMET NAZAROV WILL OVERSEE
HIS WORK. NAZAROV THUS (OFFICIALLY) ADDS FOREIGN AFFAIRS
TO HIS EVER-GROWING LIST OF RESPONSIBILITIES.


3. (C) CHARGE SPOKE AT LENGTH JULY 5 WITH TWO FORMER
FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS WHO ARE HEADED TO THE U.S. ON
MUSKIE FELLOWSHIPS, NIKOLAI NAZAROV AND AZAT ATANJANOV.
THEY FORESHADOWED BERDIEV'S DEPARTURE, NOTING THAT WHILE
HE HAD BEEN A VERY GOOD AMBASSADOR IN VIENNA AT THE OSCE,
HE HAD PROVEN A POOR MANAGER AND HAD BEEN UNABLE TO
ESTABLISH HIS AUTHORITY OVER THE MINISTRY. HE HAD BEEN
UNABLE TO ACQUIRE EITHER THE RESOURCES OR THE ACCESS TO
THE PRESIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE BUTTRESSED HIS AUTHORITY.
THEY BOTH ALSO FORESHADOWED NAZAROV'S NEW ROLE, NOTING
NIYAZOV'S PATTERN OF LOADING DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
ON A TRUSTED DEPUTY. SHIKHMURADOV HAD FILLED THAT ROLE
THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DECADE. WITH HIS FALL FROM POWER,
THE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAD ALSO LOST INFLUENCE.


4. (C) COMMENT: BERDIEV WAS PRESENT ALONG WITH NAZAROV
AND MEREDOV AT THE EMBASSY'S JULY 4 RECEPTION. HE GAVE
US NO INDICATION THAT HIS DISMISSAL WAS IMMINENT.
HOWEVER, MOST OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS HAS FELT FOR SOME
TIME THAT HE WAS ON THIN ICE. IN PART, THIS WAS BECAUSE
BERDIEV WAS SEEN AS FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER
SHIKHMURADOV'S MAN. IN PART, IT WAS BECAUSE BERDIEV WAS
TOO YOUNG, TOO INEXPERIENCED, AND TOO WEAK TO SURVIVE IN
TURKMEN POLITICS. NONETHELESS, THE PREVAILING SENTIMENT
IS THAT BERDIEV'S DISMISSAL, AND ESPECIALLY THE PERSONAL
ATTACK ON HIS CHARACTER, WAS UNJUST.


5. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: THE CHOICE OF MEREDOV IS A
SURPRISE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY AN UNPLEASANT ONE FOR US.
HE IS A 41-YEAR-OLD LAWYER WITH SOME ENGLISH, WHO SEEMS
WESTERN-ORIENTED. HOWEVER THE MOST INTERESTING
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE IS THAT HIS FATHER, OVEZGELDIY, IS ONE
OF THE EMBASSY'S LANGUAGE INSTRUCTORS, A FACT WHICH
CANNOT HAVE BEEN UNKNOWN TO NIYAZOV. MEREDOV'S
APPOINTMENT, TAKEN TOGETHER WITH NAZAROV'S RARE PRESENCE
AT THE JULY 4 RECEPTION (HE ALMOST NEVER ATTENDS NATIONAL
DAYS AND DID NOT ATTEND EITHER THE RUSSIAN SOVEREIGNTY
DAY JUNE 12, OR THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY JUNE 16),AND THE
RECENT EXIM PAYMENT OF USD 50 MILLION, COULD BE SEEN AS
THE BEGINNING OF A TURKMEN EFFORT TO REENGAGE WITH THE
U.S., AS AMBASSADOR MANN URGED THE GOTX TO DO IN HIS
FAREWELL CALLS.

SCHULTZ