Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASHGABAT1213
2007-11-08 11:44:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN'S OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION LEAVES NO
how-toVZCZCXRO1397 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #1213 3121144 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 081144Z NOV 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9677 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2961 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0781 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0657 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1234 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1878 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0619 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001213
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION LEAVES NO
ROOM AT THE INNS
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001213
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION LEAVES NO
ROOM AT THE INNS
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) The administrative officer at Turkmenistan's
Ministry of Oil and Gas (please protect) told an embassy
employee that foreign interest in the November 13-15
Turkmenistan International Oil and Gas Exhibition (TIOGE) has
far exceeded anyone's wildest expectations -- straining the
ability of the Ministry of Oil and Gas and Ashgabat's tourist
infrastructure to adequately support the event. According to
this source, 3,000 have registered to attend the event, which
will concurrently combine under one roof both a conference
and an exhibition. An unknown number of other individuals
seeking to register beyond the cutoff date have been turned
away. The Ministry of Oil and Gas -- responsible for the
logistical arrangements, including providing hotel space for
participants -- did not expect so much interest. With only
513 Western-standard hotel rooms available in the city at any
time, there simply are not enough rooms for everybody. The
conference facilities, located on the third floor of
Ashgabat's Conference and Exhibition Palace, will be
similarly strained, and the Ministry of Oil and Gas official
despaired of being able to seat more than a small percentage
of participants for any one conference session.
3. (SBU) Adding to the confusion, responsibility for the
conference and exhibition is being shared among three
entities: the Ministry of Oil and Gas responsible for the
exibition site and for all logistics, the Ashgabat Chamber of
Commerce responsible for compiling the catalog, and the
conference organizer, ITE. The Ministry of Oil and Gas
official stated that the upshot is a badly overburdened event.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: Turkmenistan's ministries and Ashgabat's
infrastructure simply are not equipped to handle so many
people. Delays are inevitable everywhere, including at the
airport, on Ashgabat's roads, in its hotels and restaurants,
and at the conference site itself. Post urges anybody
participating in TIOGE to come with flexibility as well as a
sense of adventure and humor (and maybe a few granola bars).
In comparison to last year, when organizers considered
calling off the event off because of the low registration,
TIOGE-2007 will clearly be the event of the year. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EPET TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S OIL AND GAS EXHIBITION LEAVES NO
ROOM AT THE INNS
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) The administrative officer at Turkmenistan's
Ministry of Oil and Gas (please protect) told an embassy
employee that foreign interest in the November 13-15
Turkmenistan International Oil and Gas Exhibition (TIOGE) has
far exceeded anyone's wildest expectations -- straining the
ability of the Ministry of Oil and Gas and Ashgabat's tourist
infrastructure to adequately support the event. According to
this source, 3,000 have registered to attend the event, which
will concurrently combine under one roof both a conference
and an exhibition. An unknown number of other individuals
seeking to register beyond the cutoff date have been turned
away. The Ministry of Oil and Gas -- responsible for the
logistical arrangements, including providing hotel space for
participants -- did not expect so much interest. With only
513 Western-standard hotel rooms available in the city at any
time, there simply are not enough rooms for everybody. The
conference facilities, located on the third floor of
Ashgabat's Conference and Exhibition Palace, will be
similarly strained, and the Ministry of Oil and Gas official
despaired of being able to seat more than a small percentage
of participants for any one conference session.
3. (SBU) Adding to the confusion, responsibility for the
conference and exhibition is being shared among three
entities: the Ministry of Oil and Gas responsible for the
exibition site and for all logistics, the Ashgabat Chamber of
Commerce responsible for compiling the catalog, and the
conference organizer, ITE. The Ministry of Oil and Gas
official stated that the upshot is a badly overburdened event.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: Turkmenistan's ministries and Ashgabat's
infrastructure simply are not equipped to handle so many
people. Delays are inevitable everywhere, including at the
airport, on Ashgabat's roads, in its hotels and restaurants,
and at the conference site itself. Post urges anybody
participating in TIOGE to come with flexibility as well as a
sense of adventure and humor (and maybe a few granola bars).
In comparison to last year, when organizers considered
calling off the event off because of the low registration,
TIOGE-2007 will clearly be the event of the year. END
COMMENT.
HOAGLAND