BERDIMUHAMMEDOV APPOINTS TOP OIL/GAS DEPUTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000230

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017
TAGS: ENRG PGOV PREL TX
SUBJECT: BERDIMUHAMMEDOV APPOINTS TOP OIL/GAS DEPUTY
CHAIRMAN

REF: A. ASHGABAT 226


B. ASHGABAT 221

C. 06 ASHGABAT 162

ASHGABAT 00000230 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Jennifer L. Brush for reasons 1.
4 (B) and (D).

SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) The first, mild surprise in the formation of
Turkmenistan,s new government is a positive one: the
appointment of Tachberdy Tagiyev as Deputy Chairman with the
oil/gas portfolio of the Council of the Cabinet of Ministers.
Another February 22 personnel decision from Berdimuhammedov
quietly eased out a media figure particularly identified with
Niyazov. A third sent an ex-Minister for Sport and Tourism
to KYIV as ambassador. END SUMMARY.

New Oil/Gas Deputy Chair Floats to the Top
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2. (SBU) The February 22 presidential decree appointing
Tagiyev to his new rank simultaneously removed him from the
chairmanship of the &TurkmenGas8 state company, to which he
had been named just four days previously. Replacing him
there by separate decree is Yagshygeldy Kakayev, a lifelong
hydrocarbon-sector technician who since 1996 has headed the
industrial refining division of the Ministry of Oil, Gas and
Mineral Resources.


3. (SBU) The fifty-year-old Tagiyev is a top professional
specialist with very broad technical background and also the
repute of a good manager. To judge from his curriculum
vitae, he is more personally experienced in oil than in gas.
The last year of his career trajectory under Niyazov appeared
erratic. Having been Turkmenistan,s Oil and Gas Minister
from 2002-2003, he was named Hakim (governor) of Balkan
welayat (in which capacity he met with DCM in January 2006
(Reftel),one of at least three substantive embassy contacts
with him to date),but in February 2006 was removed from that
position and put in charge of the Turkmenbashy refinery, in
what was tentatively guessed to be a half-step down for
unknown reasons.


4. (C) His elevation now makes Tagiyev just the second
Deputy Chairman selected by President Berdimuhammedov, after
Foreign Minister Meredov. The obvious puzzle is why he was
initially named, just four days ago, to a post which he has
now left for the Deputy Chairmanship. One guess is that
another person was initially projected for the Deputy
Chairmanship, but fell through. In that context, Post
recalls speculation last month by the usually well-sourced
Turkish ambassador that internationally respected former Oil
and Gas Minister Gurbanmyradov had been released from jail
and was being groomed for an official return to
Turkmenistan,s brand-new government. Whether or not that
notion ever had any basis, the Turk has since then told us
that Gurbanmyradov has been hospitalized due to unspecified
grave health problems. Tagiyev's appointment also tracks with
the government's invitation for South Central Asia's
Principal Assistant Security Steven Mann to visit. Foreign
Minister Meredov had told Charge on February 7 that the
government would be "ready" to discuss energy issues with
PDAS Mann by the beginning of March, and noted that there
would be a new cabinet.

Unrelated New Appointments
--------------


5. (SBU) Burdimuhammedov,s other personnel decrees announced
in February 23 media included:


ASHGABAT 00000230 002.2 OF 002


-- appointment of Baymyrat Gulov as Turkmendenizderyayollary
(Marine Transport) Directorate Chief. Nothing was mentioned
concerning the fate of Gurbannazar Ashyrov, who had been
(re)appointed to the same position two days earlier;

-- (re)appointment of Magtymguly Akmyradiov as Nature
Protection Minister;

-- (re)appointment of Dowlet Hojayev as Main State Tax
Service Chairman;

-- (re)appointment of Gurbanguly Aytgulyev as Turkmendokun
(fertilizers) State Joint Stock Company Chairman;

-- appointment of Arslan Nepesov as Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine. Nepesov is a former Sport
and Tourism Minister who was fired by Niyazov in mid-2006 and
has reportedly been sitting at home ever since. He has no
known background in energy or other spheres of direct
importance in Ukraine/Turkmenistan relations. This was
Berdimuhammedov,s first decree naming an ambassador.
Conceivably it was related to after-effects of the imbroglio
concerning Turkmenistan oppositionists, appearance in KYIV
late December, though our most recent contact with the
Ukrainian Embassy in Ashgabat gave no hint of any lingering
diplomatic fallout from that affair;

-- dismissal of Myrat Orazov from the Directorship of
Turkmenistan Television and of the TV-4 Channel &in
connection with transfer to different work." Orazov is a TV
producer chiefly known for having produced a biographical
film of demised-president Niyazov,s father.

-- appointment of Nazarguly Shaguliyeva as National Committee
for HydroMeteorolgy Director;

-- appointment of Gurbangeldy Gylychdurdiyev as Turkmenistan
State Power Engineering Institute Rector.

COMMENT
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6. (C) The government may have felt it incumbent to fill the
Oil and Gas Deputy Chairmanship vacancy at this time
specifically to furnish an authoritative figure for meetings
with PDAS Steve Mann during the latter,s visit to Ashgabat
next week, given that Meredov himself was the first to
suggest to Charge last month that Mann come, and that the
scheduled visit has been regularly brought up in the Ashgabat
meetings of visiting EUR/ACE Coordinator Adams and A/S
Boucher. End Comment.

BRUSH
BRUSH