Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ASHGABAT867
2007-08-23 08:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: NATO CONTACT REGIONAL REP BRIEFS ON
how-toVZCZCXRO7778 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV DE RUEHAH #0867 2350825 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 230825Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9225 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2676 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 0503 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 0373 RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1303
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000867
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR EINV SNAR NATO TU TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NATO CONTACT REGIONAL REP BRIEFS ON
ASHGABAT MEETINGS
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000867
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR EINV SNAR NATO TU TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NATO CONTACT REGIONAL REP BRIEFS ON
ASHGABAT MEETINGS
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (SBU) Astana-based NATO Contact Regional Representative
Tugay Tuncher briefed NATO-member embassies' chiefs of
mission at a Turkish Embassy-hosted dinner on August 22 at
the close of his three-day visit to Ashgabat. He met with
Deputy Foreign Minister Hajiyev and a deputy minister of
defense. He said he found the foreign ministry much more
engaged than the defense ministry.
2. (C) Tuncher said Turkmenistan accepted that a NATO
experts team will visit Ashgabat in September for an annual
program review to select NATO-Turkmenistan activities for the
next year. Tuncher speculated the sides could engage on
counter-narcotics and information-sharing and coordination on
Afghanistan, specifically intel-sharing, for which a special
NATO delegation will visit Ashgabat in January 2008.
3. (C) Tuncher said DFM Hajiyev was positive about civil
emergency planning, intel-sharing, border sercurity, further
PfP engagement, and education and training in general. He
said President Berdimuhamedov has penciled in a November 5-7
visit to Brussels, and asked if the president would be able
to meet the NATO Secretary-General.
4. (SBU) DFM Hajiyev raised recent NATO overflight problems
and commented, "Some countries don't want to follow the
rules." However, according to Tuncher, Hajiyev said
Turkmenistan wants to be as flexible as possible to assist
Afghanistan.
5. (C) During an August 20 lunch with Embassy Ashgabat's
Acting DATT, Tuncher underscored that Turkey's relations with
Turkmenistan are not especially close -- cultural ties exist
but not much Turkish investment or official contact with the
government.
6. (C) COMMENT: That DFM Hajiyev was the more engaged of
the two deputy ministers is not especially surprising. We
judge that Foreign Minister Meredov is driving Turkmenistan's
increasingly open-door foreign policy. That said,
Turkmenistan will be most cautious about military cooperation
because of its neutrality policy.
7. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: While Ankara and Ashgabat may
not yet be especially close in diplomatic terms, Tuncher's
comment about little Turkish investment in Turkmenistan is
curious. Ankara-based Chalik Energy is a major, multi-sector
investor, and Turkish companies have nearly cornered the
construction market. Tuncher said he didn't consider Turkish
construction dominance "investment." END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/RPM, EUR/SE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR EINV SNAR NATO TU TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: NATO CONTACT REGIONAL REP BRIEFS ON
ASHGABAT MEETINGS
Classified By: CHARGE RICHARD E. HOAGLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)
1. (SBU) Astana-based NATO Contact Regional Representative
Tugay Tuncher briefed NATO-member embassies' chiefs of
mission at a Turkish Embassy-hosted dinner on August 22 at
the close of his three-day visit to Ashgabat. He met with
Deputy Foreign Minister Hajiyev and a deputy minister of
defense. He said he found the foreign ministry much more
engaged than the defense ministry.
2. (C) Tuncher said Turkmenistan accepted that a NATO
experts team will visit Ashgabat in September for an annual
program review to select NATO-Turkmenistan activities for the
next year. Tuncher speculated the sides could engage on
counter-narcotics and information-sharing and coordination on
Afghanistan, specifically intel-sharing, for which a special
NATO delegation will visit Ashgabat in January 2008.
3. (C) Tuncher said DFM Hajiyev was positive about civil
emergency planning, intel-sharing, border sercurity, further
PfP engagement, and education and training in general. He
said President Berdimuhamedov has penciled in a November 5-7
visit to Brussels, and asked if the president would be able
to meet the NATO Secretary-General.
4. (SBU) DFM Hajiyev raised recent NATO overflight problems
and commented, "Some countries don't want to follow the
rules." However, according to Tuncher, Hajiyev said
Turkmenistan wants to be as flexible as possible to assist
Afghanistan.
5. (C) During an August 20 lunch with Embassy Ashgabat's
Acting DATT, Tuncher underscored that Turkey's relations with
Turkmenistan are not especially close -- cultural ties exist
but not much Turkish investment or official contact with the
government.
6. (C) COMMENT: That DFM Hajiyev was the more engaged of
the two deputy ministers is not especially surprising. We
judge that Foreign Minister Meredov is driving Turkmenistan's
increasingly open-door foreign policy. That said,
Turkmenistan will be most cautious about military cooperation
because of its neutrality policy.
7. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: While Ankara and Ashgabat may
not yet be especially close in diplomatic terms, Tuncher's
comment about little Turkish investment in Turkmenistan is
curious. Ankara-based Chalik Energy is a major, multi-sector
investor, and Turkish companies have nearly cornered the
construction market. Tuncher said he didn't consider Turkish
construction dominance "investment." END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND