Turkmenistan Reportedly Bans Travel on Russian Passports by

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000124 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PINS RU TX SUBJECT: Turkmenistan Reportedly Bans Travel on Russian Passports by "Dual Citizens" REF: Ashgabat 84 Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) The Government of Turkmenistan has reportedly issued instructions to border guards not/not to accept Russian passports as a basis for travel abroad by citizens who until now were able to do so on the basis of their no-longer-recognized dual citizenship. END SUMMARY. Dual Nationals Before.... -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Russian Ambassador Igor Blatov told Charge on January 30 that the Turkmenistan authorities had refused Russian Embassy access to a detained well-known dual-national Turkmenistan activist, on the official grounds that a Turkmenistan citizen cannot/cannot hold any other nationality (Reftel). The Russian explained that this Ashgabat position arose from Niyazov's abrogation of the 2001 bilateral agreement that had accepted the principle of dual Russian/Turkmenistani nationality (of which a few tens of thousands of ethnic-Russians promptly availed themselves) in 2003. Moscow views the detainee as still a Russian citizen; Ashgabat treats him as exclusively Turkmenistani. ¶3. (SBU) The Russian went on to note that although Niyazov's decree became national law in 2004, no everyday consequences ensued. In particular, there was no move to interfere with ordinary use of Russian passports by dual citizenship-holders for travel to Russia or elsewhere abroad. The inference was that Niyazov's decree, which came in the wake of the 2002 assassination attempt against him, was mainly a reflex against opposition figures known to have fled to Moscow and presumed to now have Russian passports. In other words, "ordinary" ethnic-Russians living in Turkmenistan have not been worried by the issue. .....And Now -------------- ¶4. (SBU) On January 26, however, a long-time contact, also a dual passport-holder, came to the embassy to inform us that guards at the Uzbekistan border on Wednesday had barred him from departing Turkmenistan. The reason, the guards told him, was that starting from January 18 Turkmenistan does not recognize any "dual" Russian passport. He would only be able to exit the country on the basis of his Turkmenistani one (which requires a visa for travel to any CIS country, including Russia.) The guards added that upon return to Ashgabat he would find that no air-tickets would be sold to residents either, except on presentation of Turkmenistan passport. (Embassy will check this at local travel agencies.) ¶4. (SBU) Our visitor had already taken his tale to the Russian Embassy, which he described as "outraged" by this apparent new policy. We suggested that the prospect of Putin arriving for the new president's inauguration (a rumor provided us by the Ukrainian Embassy in Ashgabat) could afford the chance to raise the subject at top level. He commented on the time and trouble that would be needed to obtain visas to CIS countries (NOTE: A requirement to which Turkmenistani passport-holders have been subject for several years. END NOTE.) Neither the border guards nor other authorities have made any move to physically confiscate the Russian passports in question. Comment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) If confirmed, this new policy is at odds with the post-Niyazov regime's rhetoric signalling more relaxed and extensive interaction across its border. Admittedly, it is common practice, including in the United States, to require dual citizens to enter and exit their country of citizenship on their corresponding passports. But the new Turkmenistani rules as described to us seem to go further, by requiring that citizens' entry to countries abroad likewise be exclusively on the basis of their Turkmenistan passport. End Comment. ASHGABAT 00000124 002 OF 002 BRUSH