TURKMENISTAN OFFICIALS TELL STAFFDEL ANAND THEY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000899

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, ECA, H

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON EAID TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN OFFICIALS TELL STAFFDEL ANAND THEY
ARE FOCUSED ON THE FUTURE


Classified By: Charge Richard E. Hoagland for reasons 1.4
(B) and (D).


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


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The U.S. House of Representatives
Committee on Foreign Affairs (HCFA) staff delegation visiting
Turkmenistan August 24-25 came eager to see evidence of
positive changes in the right direction. All of their
interlocutors indicated an interest and willingness to
continue engagement with the United States and other
international actors and to learn from foreign experience.
The U.S. delegation faced reluctance on the part of some
officials to share information at times, but also heard the
message that Turkmenistan is a young country, still in the
process of the formation and development of its political
system. The U.S. government could make additional gains by
bringing Turkmenistani officials to the United States on
exchanges. END SUMMARY.

FULL SCHEDULE FOR DELEGATION MEMBERS


3. (SBU) The U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs
Committee (HFAC) staff delegation -- Manpreet Singh Anand,
Amanda Sloat, Eugene Gurevich, and Melissa Adamson -- visited
Turkmenistan August 24-25. The delegation was granted all
meetings they requested, including with Deputy Chairman of
the Cabinet of
Ministers/Foreign Minister Rashit Meredov, Minister of Oil
and Gas Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov, Minister of Economy and
Finance Jojamyrat Geldimyradov, Minister of Agriculture
Esenmyrat Orazgeldiyev, Minister of Healthcare and Medical
Industry Ata Serdarov, Chairman of the Mejlis Committee on
Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms Juma Jumaev, member
of the Mejlis Committee on Social and Economic Policy Bashim
Annagurbanov, and Chairman of the Mejlis Committee on
International and Interparliamentary Affairs Akmuhammet
Shamuhammedov. They also met with members of the State's
Supreme Council on Science and Technology and held a
roundtable with editors of major newspapers and producers of
television news stations.

SIGNS OF PROGRESSIVE THINKING


4. (SBU) Officials who met with the Staffdel openly
discussed some, but not all, impediments to economic growth,
and the positive nature of the U.S.-Turkmenistan
relationship. They also highlighted areas of interest to the
United States such as revitalization of pension payments,
education, and openness to investment in the oil sector.
They heard indications of new openness and change that were
unthinkable a year ago. The head of Miras television channel
stated the focus of historical programming is to learn from
the past, and not to live in the past. At many if not all of
the meetings, Turkmenistan government officials expressed
clear interest in working with foreign companies, foreign
governments, and learning from others' experiences.

BUT SOME OLD WAYS DIE HARD


5. (SBU) However, the delegation also received a solid dose
of Turkmen thinking. At the Ministry of Economy and Finance,
the Minister extolled the virtues of free natural gas and
salt as benefits to citizens of Turkmenistan. At the
Ministry of Agriculture, officials expressed reluctance to
privatize land, because land is a national symbol.


6. (SBU) The delegation also noticed a tendency to ignore
problems in several meetings. The Minister of Health
insisted that there were no AIDS or HIV-infected patients in
Turkmenistan. Responding to a question about the
preponderance of satellite dishes on apartment buildings all
over Ashgabat, the head of TV4 claimed that 90-100% of
viewers watch Turkmenistani rather than Russian satellite
news. Various members of the media stated that programming
was based on viewer interest, and much of the programming was
patriotic because Turkmen are patriotic.

ASHGABAT 00000899 002 OF 002



WE ARE YOUNG, BUT WE WANT TO LEARN FROM THE UNITED STATES AND
OTHERS


7. (SBU) All of the officials indicated an interest and
willingness to continue engagement with the United States and
other international actors. The Minister of Health discussed
USAID projects for eliminating tuberculosis. At the Ministry
of Agriculture, officials cited USAID programs and exchange
programs such as Fulbright, the Department of Commerce's
SABIT exchanges, and Department of Agriculture's Cochran
exchanges. More than once, Turkmenistani officials stated
that, at 15 years of age, their country was young, and they
were eager to learn from U.S. experience. The officials also
said that they needed more time to develop. At the Mejlis,
the delegation found Turkmenistan parliamentarians especially
interested in Congressional oversight of the executive branch
in the United States.


8. (SBU) The Minister of Oil and Gas said that they are
still considering the Trans-Caspian pipeline option, and did
not close the door on legal changes in the sector. He also
stated several times that the government makes decisions
based on economic factors, not political ones, and added that
a pipeline to Europe may be profitable. The Minister of
Economy and Finance said Turkmenistan is in a period of
reform in which they are increasing their economic capacity
and cooperation with other countries. He added that
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov's reforms which are aimed
chiefly at the prosperity of people and
society.


9. (SBU) COMMENT: Turkmenistani officials are eager to
engage with international actors, but as evidenced by an
occasional tendency to gloss over or misrepresent aspects of
Turkmenistan's state, old habits die hard. That said,
delegations are valuable tools to engage Turkmenistan
officials. The U.S. government could make additional gains
if more Turkmenistani officials traveled to the United States
on various exchange programs. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND