THE JULY 24-25 STATE VISIT OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000804

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA (PERRY),SA DAS (GASTRIGHT)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016
TAGS: PREL UNUNSC ECON ENGR ETRD PARM IR TX
SUBJECT: THE JULY 24-25 STATE VISIT OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT
AHMADINEJAD TO TURKMENISTAN: BIG BROTHER DOMINATES

REF: A. DUSHANBE 1423

B. ASHGABAT 0787

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. Brush, for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)

Summary
--------------


1. (C) Iranian President Ahmadinejad was clearly in control,
with President Niyazov playing only a secondary role, during
the Iranian President,s July 24-25 state visit to
Turkmenistan. Notwithstanding the local state media's
assertions that the visit centered on developing economic
links -- the two leaders signed five minor agreements and a
joint communique -- the visit clearly was an awkward
getting-to-know-you event for both prickly leaders. Although
President Niyazov seemed uncharacteristically eager to please
his guest, even yielding to the latter's wishes not to morph
the visit into another cult-of-personality spectacle, it is
clear from the security-focused joint communique that Niyazov
drew a line at compromising Turkmenistan,s position of
&neutrality.8 Per ref a, banning discussing of Iran's
nuclear program apparently was a prerequisite for
Ahmadinejad's visit, which was at Niyazov's invitation. End
summary.

Second Iranian State Visit to Independent Turkmenistan
--------------


2. (C) Accompanied by his Ministers of Foreign Affairs,
Energy, Commerce, Oil, and Roads and Transportation,
President Ahmadinejad of Iran made his first state visit to
Turkmenistan on July 24-25. This is the second-ever state
visit since Turkmenistan's independence. Former Iranian
President Rafsanjani visited in the early nineties. Amid
very heavy security, President Ahmadinejad met multiple times
with Turkmenistan,s President, Saparmurat Niyazov, made the
obligatory visit to the national mosque where President
Niyazov,s parents and brothers are buried, made a rare
speech before the Mejlis (Turkmenistan,s Parliament),and
attended the formal opening of a new border crossing station.
In a departure from usual practice here, however, local
diplomats were not invited to any of these events, including
to the July 25 state banquet -- at the request of the Iranian
president (according to the usually well-informed Turkish
ambassador). Media coverage of the visit was front-page,
glowing and extensive.

Niyazov Restrained
--------------


3. (C) Belying the glowing press spin, however, President
Niyazov was uncharacteristically and visibly restrained,
giving the impression to many that he was treading carefully
in order to avoid offending his guest. Twice during
televised exchanges with President Ahmadinejad, President
Niyazov -- who is well-known for his frequently undiplomatic
treatment of top-level visitors -- failed to respond to
challenges, including one particularly insulting comment,
from his Iranian visitor. In a (dopey) attempt to sound
positive, Niyazov said that if the two met a few more times,
they would be able to speak each other's languages. In
response Ahmadinejad noted it would take Niyazov twice as
long to learn FARSI as it would take him to learn Turkmen.
Niyazov also allowed President Ahmadinejad to take control of
a joint press conference, while he drew back and made only
occasional statements. Going down a receiving line of the
diplomatic corps before the formal pass-in-review in
Ahmadinejad's honor, briefly stopping in front of
representatives from the British, French and OSCE missions,
Niyazov said:

-- &He8 (Ahmadinejad) had not criticized either Israel or
Lebanon (not true; see para 7 below);

-- The primary focus of the visit had been economic; and

-- There had been discussion of Caspian Sea borders, but no
agreement had been reached.


ASHGABAT 00000804 002 OF 004


The Results: Less Than Might Be Expected
--------------


4. (SBU) During the visit, the two sides signed seven
bilateral documents:

-- a declaration regarding the opening of the new border
crossing at Howdan-Bajgiran;

-- a memorandum on cooperation in the areas of security and
border issues;

-- a program for tourism cooperation (Comment: Local hotel
workers tell us Iranian tourism mostly consists of Iranians
in search of alcohol and hookers. End comment.);

-- an agreement on bilateral cooperation on livestock and
veterinary sanitation;

-- a memorandum of cooperation on energy in which
Turkemenistan agreed to increase delivery of electrical power
to Iran;

-- a joint letter from Presidents Niyazov and Ahmadinejad to
President Karzai of Afghanistan; and

-- a joint communique.

The two sides also agreed to set up a joint committee to work
on issues related to gas sales, but did not reach agreement
on new gas prices or increased gas deliveries to Iran.
(Note: In March, Turkmenistan turned off gas deliveries to
Iran until Iran raised the price from $42 to $65/tcm and also
agreed to buy 14 bcm annually vice 8-10 bcm. Turkmenistan
sends gas to Iran from the Korpeje gas field via the
Korpeje/Kurt Kui pipeline. End note.) Only the joint
communique and -- potentially -- the joint letter to
President Karzai (embassy has not seen a text) are
substantively significant; the remaining documents appear
largely to be window-dressing for an otherwise very tough
visit.

Joint Communique: An Iranian Document in Turkmen Words?
-------------- --------------


5. (SBU) During the press conference, President Niyazov
uncharacteristically indicated that he and President
Ahmadinejad had some very difficult negotiations, with
neither side wanting to back down. Of the documents that
were signed, however, only the joint communique reflects this
tension. Although nothing in the document conflicts with
positions laid out by the Government of Turkmenistan, the
content appears to have been based on an Iranian draft, with
some language subsequently softened and made more &neutral8
by the Turkmenistan side.


6. (SBU) In this regard, the document,s treatment of
security issues is particularly notable. Specifically, the
communique:

-- Stresses the efforts of both countries to strengthen peace
and stability and to establish a climate of trust and mutual
benefit in regional and international affairs;

-- Notes the need to resolve international questions only
through peaceful and diplomatic means.

-- Expresses Turkmenistan,s support for the &active and
positive role8 of Iran and the orientation of Iran,s
domestic policies in resolving international questions
directed toward strengthening &peace, stability and
tranquility,8 and reaffirms Iran,s support for
Turkmenistan,s neutrality.

-- States that both presidents attach special significance to
the strengthening of the UN,s central role in resolving
global security issues and the importance of not using force,
threats or unilateral action to resolve international
disputes (Comment: This point, which almost certainly is
directed toward the United States, in particular seems to
reflect an effort by Turkmenistan to tone down initially

ASHGABAT 00000804 003 OF 004


tough Iranian language. Charge had personally delivered ref
b update on the status of the P5 1 Iran Initiative to Foreign
Minister Meredov on July 21. End comment.).

-- Stresses that both countries consider that proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction, trans-national crime,
terrorism and drugs pose some of the biggest threats to peace
and stability on the planet and reiterates the willingness of
both sides to cooperate in the battle against these threats;
and

-- Reiterates that neither side will allow its territory to
be used against the other.

The document also stressed the need to reach agreement on a
document on Caspian Sea borders, decided only by the five
countries involved, and called for a second summit of heads
of Caspian countries in Tehran.

Inflammatory Address to Iranians Living in Turkmenistan
--------------


7. (SBU) During his visit, President Ahmadinejad delivered
an inflammatory address at the al-Zahra Mosque to a gathering
of Iranians resident in Turkmenistan. According to a BBC
report, President Ahmadinejad, after criticizing the UN
Security Council for its alleged dual standard in dealing
with &the Zionist regime,8 asserted that the big powers
controlling the region were trying to exert their hegemony
over the entire region. He accused these "big powers" of
deliberately trying to halt the ®ional nations,8
advancement. Ahmadinejad also said that the Lebanese nation,
despite being under the severe attacks of the &Zionist
regime,8 has demonstrated that Israel is not invulnerable
and has not permitted them (Israeli troops) to move an inch
ahead. He credited Lebanon,s success to a &popular
force,8 which has succeeded in inflicting more damage on
Israel in 13 days than three countries, fighting jointly,
were able to do the last time they went to war. Iran
supported all oppressed nations in the world, he continued,
but Iran,s support was merely of a spiritual and political
nature. Ahmadinejad then focused on the role that Iranians
living abroad should fulfill, arguing that any Iranian
expatriate should be an ambassador of the &rich Iranian
culture and civilization.8

Local Pools Closed
--------------


8. (C) Ashgabat practically closed down during the two day
visit. Combined local and Iranian security forces were
evident throughout the city and entire sections of major
thoroughfares were shut down for lengthy periods to allow for
the motorcades. The city also went through a major cleanup,
with curbs freshly painted and lane lines painted for the
first time down the main road to the Iranian border. The
Iranian delegation was spread out between the Grand Turkmen,
President and Serdar hotels, with Ahmadinejad staying in the
presidential suite at the latter. Local diplomats and other
hotel guests tell us the swimming pools at the Grand Turkmen
and the President were closed for the visit so as not to
expose the visitors to stray views of flesh. Interestingly,
other guests at the President Hotel, normally off-limits to
prostitutes by presidential order unless various foreign
delegations are in town, reported seeing prostitutes in the
hotel lobby during the visit.

Comment
--------------


9. (C) Notwithstanding President Niyazov,s assertions to
the diplomats and the glowing press coverage, this visit was
neither fraternal nor focused on economics. Relations
between Turkmenistan and its much larger and more powerful
neighbor to the south remain cautious at best: the border is
heavily guarded, travel restrictions on Iranians are tight
here, and President Niyazov has needed to mend fences ever
since he came out openly in support of President
Ahmadinejad,s opponent in the last Iranian presidential
election. President Niyazov, who continues to try to
negotiate higher gas prices with Russia, undoubtedly also

ASHGABAT 00000804 004 OF 004


hoped to use this visit to suggest to Moscow that it would
continue to plan to diversify its pipeline options. However,
it is unlikely that he succeeded in either objective.
Ahmadinejad may only have accepted Niyazov's invitation as a
stopping point on the way to Dushanbe for a "FARSI Summit,"
with Presidents Rakhmonov of Tajikistan and Karzai of
Afghanistan. His almost total control of the trip's agenda
indicates the desire to ensure nothing substantive resulted.
That said, although President Niyazov clearly was prepared to
defer to his guest in many respects, it is notable that he
nonetheless drew the line at making statements that would
compromise Turkmenistan,s neutrality by openly attacking the
United States. End Comment.
BRUSH