TURKMENISTAN: MORE STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000701

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL, ECA, IIP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SCUL KMDR KPAO OIIP TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MORE STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION


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1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During the July 13 Cabinet of Ministers meeting,
President Berdimuhamedov announced an important decision to
recognize foreign educational degrees and appointed a new, possibly
more dynamic and open Deputy Chair of the Cabinet of Ministers for
culture and all newsmedia. Even though engrained attitudes may
recede slowly, both steps signal a top-level desire for positive
change. END SUMMARY.

?WE NEED OUR GUYS AND GIRLS? (WITH FOREIGN DEGREES)


3. (U) During the televised Cabinet of Ministers meeting, President
Berdimuhammedov complained that Turkmenistan has ?five thousand?
citizens studying abroad independently of government programs, but
that their degrees are not recognized in Turkmenistan. He sternly
explained, ?We need our guys and girls [sic], and we should use them
for our industries. I was told that they return and are not able to
find jobs and have to wander, or work somewhere in a firm, or as
drivers or mechanics. Why do we do that? Why do we allow that?
They are our own guys and girls. They are from our country.? After
a lengthy complaint about the situation, the President instructed
Deputy Chair of the Cabinent of Minsiters Hydyr Saparlyev,
responsible for education, to find a way to recognize degrees from
?CIS countries and other countries.?

RESHUFFLING OF DUTIES FOR CULTURE AND NEWSMEDIA


4. (U) Earlier in the same meeting, the President, appointed Maisa
Yazmuhammedova to become a new Deputy Chair of the Cabinent of
Ministers responsible for culture and newsmedia. In doing so, he
fulfilled his earlier promise to establish a distinct Deputy Chair
for these duties, and transferred culture from Deputy Chair
Saparlyev and apparently the newsmedia duties from the Presidential
Press Secretary.

BIO NOTES FOR THE NEW DEPUTY CHAIRWOMAN


5. (U) Since February 2007, Maisa Merdovna Yazmuhammedova has
served as the Chair of both the National Center of Trade Unions and
Central Council of the Women's Union. October 2005-February 2007,
she was Deputy Hakim (governor) of Ahal Welayat (province),
responsible for education, culture, healthcare, and sports. Her
earlier positions were in educational programs for various schools.
She is a 1994 graudate of the Azadi World Languages Institute with a
degree in Russian. Muhammedova was born in 1971.


6. (SBU) Maisa Yazmuhammedova is known to the EMBASSY through the
welayat reporting program during her tenure as the Ahal Welayat
Deputy Hakim. After making an elections visit to Ahal in February,
PAO noted Yazmuhammedova's depth of knowledge, receptiveness,
openness, and encouragement of input from her electoral commission.
Voting districts under her supervision were highlighted to visiting
foreign journalists on the day of the presidential election.


7. (SBU) COMMENT: Berdimuhammedov's decision on foreign
educational degrees signals an important new step for the country as
well as for U.S. government exchange programs. Many alumni of U.S.
programs have been able to find work only with foreign companies or
international organizations. While it may take time for ingrained
attitudes against foreign degrees to subside, this step is concrete
evidence of Berdimuhamedov's commitment to ameliorate Niyazov's
ravages of Turkmenistani society.


8. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: Likewise, we judge Deputy Chair
Yazmuhammedova's appointment as a signal for the start of a more
modern and open model of managing cultural and media affairs.
Again, habits of the past will change slowly and unevenly, but
Berdimuhamedov is making the right moves. END COMMENT. End

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Comment.

HOAGLAND