TURKMENISTAN: NATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION SERVICE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001001 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA, EUR/RUS, EUR/CAU, EEB; PLEASE PASS DSTEIN, U.S. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID EAIR PGOV PREL TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION SERVICE WILL BE IN TOUCH REGARDING POSSIBLE USTDA ASSISTANCE REF: ASHGABAT 0925 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During a recent introductory meeting with U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Regional Director Dan Stein, officials of Turkmenistan's National Civil Aviation Service expressed interest in possible development cooperation with USTDA. With the Chairman of the service, Gurbanyaz Tirkishov, called out of the room at a critical moment to take a phone call, USTDA was unable to bring the offer to an oral agreement. Post believes that the interest was more than polite and urges USTDA to follow up. END SUMMARY. USTDA PROPOSES CIVIL AVIATION COOPERATION ¶2. (U) During an introductory September 18 meeting, the Chairman of Turkmenistan's National Civil Aviation Service, Gurbanyaz Tirkishov, told U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Regional Director for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Stein his service controls Turkmenistan Airlines, Turkmenistan's airports, and its air traffic structure. Turkmen Airlines' fleet consists wholly of Boeing aircraft, and its pilots receive their training from Boeing. Turkmenistan's air traffic control equipment is also "the best" -- all equipment, both in Ashgabat and the provinces, was relatively new and purchased from a French company, Thomson. Turkmenistan is also negotiating with Thomson to install new radio locators of the first and second stage. This makes Turkmenistan's civil aviation sector "better" than that of some of its neighbors, many of whom do not have such sophisticated equipment. Tirkishov also stressed that Turkmenistan charges air passengers $15-20 dollars per 100 kilometers less than any of its neighbors. ¶3. (SBU) Stein noted that the trend is to separate responsibility for airports, airlines and civil aviation services, and Tirkishov said that his government has been considering all variants, including those used overseas. In the meantime, the National Civil Aviation Service was seeking to improve its current functions. When Stein offered USTDA assistance in examining the various alternatives, Tirkishov responded that his service would be interested in advice on how it could improve its work. Using USTDA's growing relationship with Turkmenistan's hydrocarbon agencies as an example, Stein explained that, if the service is interested in cooperation, USTDA would send a specialist to Turkmenistan for 7-10 days to consult and develop a program of interest to the National Civil Aviation Service. If during that process Turkmenistan also expressed interest in a longer technical program, USTDA could also subsequently work on such a program, based on the specialist's recommendations. However, he said, the National Civil Aviation Service had to let USTDA know that it was interested in such cooperation. During Stein's presentation, Tirkishov was called out of the room to take a phone call and, in his absence, the head of the International Affairs office responded that National Civil Aviation Service, which was looking for opportunities to improve its system, would discuss USTDA's offer and be in touch. REGIONAL COOPERATION ¶4. (SBU) Stein also raised two issues related to USTDA's regional aviation programs: -- Regional Conference. USTDA will hold a regional conference on aviation in the spring of 2008, and Turkmenistan will be invited. USTDA will be in touch through the Embassy once more information was available. The ASHGABAT 00001001 002 OF 002 International Affairs office head seemed interested. -- USTDA had recently been in touch with all participants, including Turkmenistan, in a USTDA-sponsored regional air traffic control study (CMSATS) to ask whether they would support extending participation in the program to include the air traffic control systems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So far, all countries except Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan had responded by agreeing to the program's proposed expansion. After consulting briefly, the National Civil Aviation Service brought into the meeting its program representative, who stated that, although Turkmenistan had sent its response a month ago, it would resend the response. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: As reported reftel, Turkmenistan's aviation sector is badly troubled by mismanagement and corruption. President Berdimuhamedov, who appointed Tirkishov several months ago to improve the sector, has since publicly criticized Tirkishov twice for his inability to bring about results. We believe that the National Civil Aviation Sector probably is genuinely interested in whatever assistance USTDA can provide, but Tirkishov's absence from the room at the critical moment probably forced the service to give a more conservative answer than it otherwise might have offered. Post suggests that Stein follow up with a letter to Tirkishov thanking him for the meeting and outlining the offer that was interrupted by Tirkishov's departure. CURRAN