BERDIMUHAMMEDOV CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR MORE EDUCATION,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000307

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)
INFO SCA/PPD (VAN DE VATE),IIP/G/NEA-SA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO PREL TX
SUBJECT: BERDIMUHAMMEDOV CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR MORE EDUCATION,
CULTURE REFORMS

SUMMARY
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1. (U) President Berdimuhammedov finally filled the position he
himself had occupied as Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers
and announced further dramatic and likely progressive changes to the
education and cultural sector in a March 16 Cabinet of Ministers
meeting. In a surprising move, Berdimuhammedov promoted former -
and recently reappointed Minister of Education Hydyr Saparliyev as
Deputy Chairman in charge of a broad portfolio including education
(including the National Archives),science, healthcare, culture,
sport, religious affairs and public organizations -- and indirect
oversight of all state media and publishing. He appointed the
reputedly progressive rector of Turkmenistan's Institute of National
Economy, Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov, to replace Saparliyev as Minister
of Education. Berdimuhammedov expanded on earlier stated plans for
curriculum reform in Turkmenistan's schools and urged greater
activism in the (state-controlled) social sector. Chastising
Minister of Culture Enebay Atayeva, he reassigned oversight of all
state media to the President's Press Secretary, and announced his
intention to create a new deputy chairman position for culture
within the Council of Ministers. End Summary.

Curriculum Reform to be Broadened
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2. (U) Despite his evident fear and discomfort in his one meeting
with post while Minister of Education under the Niyazov
administration, Saparlyev has now been catapulted to a position of
great authority under Berdimuhammedov. One FSN who worked
tangentially with Saparliyev contends he is competent to take this
role, as the current operating environment is a dramatic departure
from that under Niyazov. Rector of the Turkmen Institute of
National Economy Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov took Saparlyev's place as
Minister of Education, and Gulshat Sahyevna Mammedova assumed the
position of deputy minister of education for kindergartens and
secondary schools. Mammedova had been director of the Gurbansoltan
Eje School and chairperson of the Ashgabat City Education
Administration. (Note: There is no news on the fate of former
deputy minister Jemal Bashimov. End Note.)


3. (U) In addition to these leadership changes, Berdimuhammedov
again emphasized the enormity of the proposed education sector
changes he proposed. For the first time, he publicly mentioned the
need to reform curricula and textbooks from the kindergarten level
all the way up through higher education institutions. (Comment:
Such a statement opens the possibility, for the first time, that
there could be a change in the way Ruhnama study, among other
subjects, is handled in schools. End Comment.)


4. (U) Berdimuhammedov again welcomed expanding study abroad
opportunities and invited cooperation with foreign specialists in
such fields as "economics, engineering, and computer technology."
Military faculties -- operated in conjunction with the Ministry of
Defense -- were to open at Turkmen State University, the
Agricultural University, the Polytechnic Institute and the Transport
and Communications Institute. (Comment: With the creation of such
institutes, military service will likely no longer be obligatory for
university-level students, although it will persist as a requirement
for those not entering higher education institutions. End
Comment.)

Call to Energize the Social, Cultural Sectors
--------------


5. (U) Berdimuhammedov also called for Saparlyev to energize the
social sector through closer work with religious groups and social
organizations such as the Women's and Youth Unions and the Galkynysh
(Revival) Movement, saying that these groups have been too passive.
He urged the head of Youth Unions to work more closely with
secondary schools and higher education institutions and make an
effort to be a visible presence in state mass media.


6. (U) He also urged greater activity in the sports and tourism
sectors. Most importantly, he hoped that Turkmenistan's youth would
achieve a higher status in international sports competitions. He
stated that Ashgabat youth underachieved relative to their peers in
the regions; stadiums should be built in each region and the
Ministry of Sports and Tourism should provide greater support for
young sportsmen, either by admitting them to the Sports Institute in
Ashgabat or supporting them in efforts to compete internationally.

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Saparlyev should also enliven the tourism sector by ensuring better
advertising for Turkmenistan's natural and historical sites.

Shake-Up in Media, Cultural Spheres
--------------


7. (U) Culture Minister Atayeva's star has fallen precipitously,
with Berdimuhammedov reprimanding her during the meeting for
sloppiness in her oversight of state television, a lack of
initiative in programming -- including allowing state television and
radio to recycle old material -- lying, and not being at her place
of work. While some had regarded Atayeva as a possible candidate
for the Deputy Minister position, President Berdimuhammedov made
clear that her days were numbered. This criticism was prompted by a
March 13 state news television broadcast of a segment (presumably
about technology) that was at least three years out of date;
Berdimuhammedov urged state media to update its knowledge and use of
modern technologies.


8. (U) Berdimuhammedov announced his intention to create a new
deputy minister position for culture, and assigned full interim
responsibility for print and broadcast media, including the State
Publishing Service, the Committee on Protecting State Secrets in the
Press, and the State News Service, to Presidential Press Secretary
Akmurat Hudayberdiyev (reappointed to that position on February 27).
According to one of his former employees, Hudayberdiev had long
shunned the limelight, with the result that few were aware of his
position in the administration until his reappointment.
Hudayberdiyev provided a recommendation to a former subordinate to
support her participation in the Humphrey Fellowship -- when such
support was risky among government employees.

Comment
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9. (U) Post is cautiously optimistic about the reshuffling of these
officials. Just as it was difficult to foresee Berdimuhammedov's
potential as a reformer under Niyazov, these new appointees did not
particularly distinguish themselves as forward-leaning under the
former president. Yet, the President's statements and the new
appointments appear to signal Berdimuhammedov's commitment to carry
through with significant, progressive reform, at least in the
education sector. End Comment.

Biographical Note
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10. (U) Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov was appointed Minister of
Education on March 16, 2007. He was born in 1959 in Ashgabat,
Turkmenistan. Received BA in Economics from Turkmenistan's
Institute of National Economy, Ashgabat, and an MA (Kanditatskaya)
in Economic Sciences from the Moscow Finance Institute.
1980 - 1986 Secretary of Youth Organization, instructor;
1986 - 1989 Post-graduate student of Moscow Finance Institute;
1989 - 1993 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Senior
Instructor, Associate Professor of the Accounting Department;
1993 - 1997 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Deputy Dean of
Calculation in the Statistics Department;
1997 - 1998 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Associate
Professor of the Accounting, Auditing and Statistics Department;
1998 - 2002 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Dean of the
Economics Department;
2002 - 2004 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Vice-Rector for
academics at the Institute;
2004 - 2007 Rector of the Turkmen Institute of National Economy.
End Note.


11. (U) Dushanbe minimize considered

TROUTMAN