Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT1542
2008-11-28 09:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV VISIT TO GERMANY
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UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001542
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EINV ETRD TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV VISIT TO GERMANY
EMPHASIZES BUSINESS INTERESTS
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001542
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EINV ETRD TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV VISIT TO GERMANY
EMPHASIZES BUSINESS INTERESTS
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) President Berdimuhamedov led a large delegation to
Germany on November 13 for a three-day visit. According to
German Deputy Chief of Mission Silke Hahn, it was not an
official, state visit for Berdimuhamedov, because the German
government has not been impressed with human rights
developments in Turkmenistan since the president came into
office in February 2007. She opined that the Turkmen leader
loves Germany, but his primary goal may have been to gain
some political clout in Europe, something that has been
developing only on a modest basis. Still, she said, because
of the EU's long-term energy needs, her government wanted to
keep the door open, and consented to some brief meetings.
The Turkmen leader's delegation numbered 140, but as many as
90 were Turkmen dancers and musicians. (NOTE: The German
ambassador separately told us that the delegation also
included four cooks. END NOTE.)
3. (SBU) Siemens, the consulting firm Goetz Partner, and
other major German corporate partners organized the visit and
hosted the delegation, she said. Although Berdimuhamedov was
able to meet briefly with Chancellor Angela Merkel, President
Horst Koehler, and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
substantive discussions were very limited. Hahn said the
German government representatives underscored their readiness
to increase cooperaton with Turkmenistan on higher
education, journalism training, and human rights, but the
Turkmen side was unresponsive.
4. (SBU) The majority of his meetings in Germany were
focused on the business relationship. Hahn said that at the
Turkmen-German Economic Forum, hosted by Minister of
Economics and Technologies Michael Glos, Berdimuhamedov read
a speech in German, even though he does not speak German.
One of the business development proposals the president made
to the businessmen was to establish a German educational
center in Ashgabat to train computer operators. Hahn said
this idea is unlikely to draw significant support, since the
German EMBASSY here routinely experiences problems working
with the MFA to get approved Turkmen candidates into existent
educational programs in Germany.
5. (SBU) Hahn said the most vibrant part of the bilateral
relationship is in the sphere of business. German companies
already doing business here want to expand it, and other
companies want to start a relationship with Turkmenistan.
Berdimuhamedov met with the Chairman of an Eastern-oriented
German business council, Klaus Mangold, where the two talked
about expanding the business partnership in the spheres of
energy, healthcare, high-tech, and others. Hahn said
President Berdimuhamedov also may have met with medical
professionals Claus Parhoffer and Arthur Muller at the Gross
Harden Clinic at Ludwig-Maximilian University. The Turkmen
government has had a relationship with the clinic since the
mid-1990s, she said.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: German businesses are well situated to
expand their business activity in Turkmenistan, since they
have been here for so long and have maintained good relations
with the leadership. Germany is unlikely to be a advocate on
behalf of Turkmenistan to the EU before that country can
demonstrate some progress on human rights. END COMMENT.
MILES
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EINV ETRD TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV VISIT TO GERMANY
EMPHASIZES BUSINESS INTERESTS
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) President Berdimuhamedov led a large delegation to
Germany on November 13 for a three-day visit. According to
German Deputy Chief of Mission Silke Hahn, it was not an
official, state visit for Berdimuhamedov, because the German
government has not been impressed with human rights
developments in Turkmenistan since the president came into
office in February 2007. She opined that the Turkmen leader
loves Germany, but his primary goal may have been to gain
some political clout in Europe, something that has been
developing only on a modest basis. Still, she said, because
of the EU's long-term energy needs, her government wanted to
keep the door open, and consented to some brief meetings.
The Turkmen leader's delegation numbered 140, but as many as
90 were Turkmen dancers and musicians. (NOTE: The German
ambassador separately told us that the delegation also
included four cooks. END NOTE.)
3. (SBU) Siemens, the consulting firm Goetz Partner, and
other major German corporate partners organized the visit and
hosted the delegation, she said. Although Berdimuhamedov was
able to meet briefly with Chancellor Angela Merkel, President
Horst Koehler, and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
substantive discussions were very limited. Hahn said the
German government representatives underscored their readiness
to increase cooperaton with Turkmenistan on higher
education, journalism training, and human rights, but the
Turkmen side was unresponsive.
4. (SBU) The majority of his meetings in Germany were
focused on the business relationship. Hahn said that at the
Turkmen-German Economic Forum, hosted by Minister of
Economics and Technologies Michael Glos, Berdimuhamedov read
a speech in German, even though he does not speak German.
One of the business development proposals the president made
to the businessmen was to establish a German educational
center in Ashgabat to train computer operators. Hahn said
this idea is unlikely to draw significant support, since the
German EMBASSY here routinely experiences problems working
with the MFA to get approved Turkmen candidates into existent
educational programs in Germany.
5. (SBU) Hahn said the most vibrant part of the bilateral
relationship is in the sphere of business. German companies
already doing business here want to expand it, and other
companies want to start a relationship with Turkmenistan.
Berdimuhamedov met with the Chairman of an Eastern-oriented
German business council, Klaus Mangold, where the two talked
about expanding the business partnership in the spheres of
energy, healthcare, high-tech, and others. Hahn said
President Berdimuhamedov also may have met with medical
professionals Claus Parhoffer and Arthur Muller at the Gross
Harden Clinic at Ludwig-Maximilian University. The Turkmen
government has had a relationship with the clinic since the
mid-1990s, she said.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: German businesses are well situated to
expand their business activity in Turkmenistan, since they
have been here for so long and have maintained good relations
with the leadership. Germany is unlikely to be a advocate on
behalf of Turkmenistan to the EU before that country can
demonstrate some progress on human rights. END COMMENT.
MILES