TURKMENISTAN'S PARLIAMENTARIANS GREET U.S. EDUCATION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000505

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SOCI PREL PINR TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PARLIAMENTARIANS GREET U.S. EDUCATION
DELEGATION WARMLY, OFFER NOTHING

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (U) Rounding out its official meetings in Ashgabat, the
education delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchanges Alina Romanowski
met on May 3 with Chairmen of three (Mejlis) parliamentary
committees:

-- Maral Paltayava - Committee on Economic and Social Issues,

-- Baymyrat Babayev - Committee on Science, Education and Culture,
and

-- Gelimyrat Allayev - Committee on Interparliamentary and
International Relations.

All alumni of U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs, the
Mejlis representatives were cordial and forthright but made clear
that they play no role in the policy-making process. End Summary.

REVIEW OF THE DRAFTING PROCESS
--------------


2. (U) DAS Romanowski referred to the delegation's meetings with
the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Hydyr Saparlyev and
Minister of Education Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov earlier in the day
(septel),asking how the Mejlis interacted with the ministerial
decision making process.


3. (U) Paltayeva, who dominated the host government side, said that
legislation originated in the five-year plan developed by individual
incoming Mejlis deputies, but also from presidential and ministry
initiatives. Once elected, a deputy sent letters to government
institutions within his/her constituency to solicit areas of
priority activity during the deputy's term. A deputy either
initiated a draft law or received a draft law from regional
government bodies, with whom the Mejlis coordinated drafting
activity. A draft law was first circulated through one of the
parliament's five committees: those represented at the meeting as
well as Committees on Liaison with Local Governments (Gengeshi) and
that on Human Rights. The draft law then was sent to relevant
ministries for comment. The Mejlis later created a working group,
often including relevant ministry representatives, to further tailor
the draft law, send the law for public comment, then finally to the
president for approval.

MEJLIS OPEN TO FOREIGN EXPERTS
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4. (U) When possible, deputies referred to international models and
consulted with foreign experts, including those from other CIS
countries, in creating a draft law. Paltayeva described two cases
in which the Mejlis had hosted European legislative experts to
assist in the drafting process. Rolf Knipper, President of the
International Arbitration Court, visited Turkmenistan in 2005 to
assist the Mejlis to draft Turkmenistan's civil code. UNICEF was
sponsoring cooperative activity to promote public awareness of the
law on the Rights of the Child. (Note: This activity is part of
the UN's five-year plan with the host government, for 2005-2009.
End Note.) In response to Romanowski's offer of an eventual
exchange of parliament members with the United States, Paltayeva
said the Parliament of the Republic of Georgia had also offered such
an exchange, and that the Mejlis was always open to such contact.
Paltayeva noted with pride that she had participated in a recent
group exchange to Sweden on education issues, and that she had
traveled to the United States in 1994 on a U.S.-sponsored program to
examine banking legislation issues. (Note: Paltayeva could not
remember what agency sponsored this program. Babayev is an alumnus
of a 2002 International Visitors Program on Internet policy.
Allayev visited the United States earlier this year on a Department
of Justice-sponsored rule of law visit. End Note.)

FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES IN ASHGABAT, INTERNET IN VILLAGES?
-------------- -


5. (U) In the area of educational reform, Romanowski ceded that the
Ministry of Education might need time to "clear the way forward" on
many of President Berdimuhammedov's proposed reforms, but said that
the United States could offer a broad range of assistance in this

ASHGABAT 00000505 002 OF 002


effort. Paltayeva responded that, indeed, "it takes time" to build
the framework of proposed reforms, but that the Government of
Turkmenistan -- like that of the United States -- placed a very high
priority on education. Delegation members asked whether the
intention (discussed when Berdimuhammedov met Russian President
Vladimir Putin in Moscow in late April) to establish a branch of
Moscow State University in Ashgabat indicated forthcoming acceptance
of foreign degrees by the Government of Turkmenistan. Paltayeva
said that "of course" the presence of foreign teaching specialists
in Turkmenistan would mean an acceptance of foreign degrees; but it
was unclear if Paltayeva understood the question correctly.
Paltayeva also (incorrectly) suggested that there had been
discussions to open branches of U.S. universities, which, like the
branch of Moscow State University, would be based in the new
International Ruhnama University in Ashgabat. As yet, Paltayeva
said, there were no plans for those branches to operate
"independently" in Turkmenistan, that is, outside of the Ruhnama
University.


6. (U) Babayev highlighted state Internet activities, stating that
state Internet cafes were to be opened in each major region and then
in each "district and village" of Turkmenistan. (Comment: The
wallflowerish Babayev seemed intimidated during the meeting and
spoke only briefly, in Turkmen, whereas the confident Paltayeva --
obviously in charge -- spoke in Russian. End Comment.)

VAGUE ON EDUCATION LAW CHANGES
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7. (U) Babayev said that existing education legislation was updated
shortly after Berdimuhammedov's announcements of reform in January
and February; therefore, the current legislative basis for the
educational system was adequate for the proposed reforms, but
legislation was "a living document" and could be changed should the
need arise. Paltayeva did not foresee a case in which the Mejlis or
the legislative process might directly influence education
policymaking. Asked about the Mejlis' potential influence on
development of curriculum and textbooks, Paltayeva said that such
influence would only come through when a draft law went through the
working group process.

COMMENT
--------------


8. (SBU) One purpose of the delegation's meeting was to insure that
information about available U.S.-funded support in the education
sphere reaches beyond the protective walls of the Ministry of
Education and individuals such as Deputy Chairman for Education,
Health, Culture and Science Saparlyev, who provides no evidence of
being interested in change in the education sector. Post believes
that the participating deputies understand well the value of
exchanges and of broader access to the Internet. While they may not
have direct influence over educational policy, their long-term
presence in the decision-making process is another possible pressure
point on government policy-making. End Comment.

BRUSH