Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT468
2008-04-14 12:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: AMCIT GROUP FREELANCES ASSISTANCE
how-toVZCZCXRO6960 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0468 1051216 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 141216Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0596 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3627 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1445 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1312 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1881 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2408 RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000468
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE
AID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: AMCIT GROUP FREELANCES ASSISTANCE
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0373
B. ASHGABAT 0355
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000468
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE
AID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: AMCIT GROUP FREELANCES ASSISTANCE
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0373
B. ASHGABAT 0355
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Members of the AmCit group, Friends of the
Turkmen, were recently in Turkmenistan to meet with Turkmen
officials and offer assistance (Ref. A). The group met with
officials at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health,
Economy and Development, Education, Sports and Tourism, and
Culture and Broadcasting. While the group is willing to
identify experts in various fields to provide assistance,
they lack funding. The group's leader told EmbOff that they
hoped to get the Government of Turkmenistan to agree to
fund,at least partially, some of the proposed projects.
SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE REQUESTS
3. (SBU) The leader said they were well-received at all the
ministries, many of which asked for assistance in specific
areas. For example, the Ministry of Economy and Development
identified micro-business/microcredit, export to the United
States, encouraging greater U.S. investment in Turkmenistan,
and transportation development as areas for further
cooperation. The Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting wanted
further training in television broadcasting (NOTE: A U.S
expert recruited by our Public Affairs Section recently
visited Turkmenistan to provide technical-assistance training
for TV news. Ref. B). The Ministry of Health asked the
group for training in emergency and preventive medicine. The
group this trip included a physician, who is a specialist in
emergency medicine. He gave a lecture to 100 doctors and 200
medical students on this topic. He plans to come back to
give additional lectures.
TROUBLE ON THE ICE
4. (SBU) A skating coach, who was in the group, met
separately with hockey players as well as ice skating
students, who were trying to learn ice dancing. According to
the group's leader, Turkmenistan has no ice skating coaches.
The students have tried to learn by watching videos and
training with gymnasts. The assessment of the U.S. coach was
that the young people had learned moves incorrectly.
Nevertheless, they have been able to progress from skating
backwards, which was the only thing they could do last fall
when the group last visited, to now doing some spins.
Despite the great tradition of hockey teams in the former
Soviet Union, the group claimed that Turkmen players also
needed assistance with that sport. Until recently, the
country had only separate ethnic Russian and Turkmen teams,
and the Turkmen teams were not very good. Now, there are
some combined teams, and quality has improved somewhat.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: While it is admirable that this private
group wants to offer assistance, they should not pin any
hopes on the government ponying up money for these projects.
It's not going to happen. Moreover, the Friends of the
Turkmen should probably shy away from projects that are way
over their head like transportation development. Their forte
is most likely in areas that are low-cost and emphasize
people-to-people contact such as sports coaches and guest
lecturers. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE
AID/W FOR EE/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: AMCIT GROUP FREELANCES ASSISTANCE
REF: A. ASHGABAT 0373
B. ASHGABAT 0355
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Members of the AmCit group, Friends of the
Turkmen, were recently in Turkmenistan to meet with Turkmen
officials and offer assistance (Ref. A). The group met with
officials at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health,
Economy and Development, Education, Sports and Tourism, and
Culture and Broadcasting. While the group is willing to
identify experts in various fields to provide assistance,
they lack funding. The group's leader told EmbOff that they
hoped to get the Government of Turkmenistan to agree to
fund,at least partially, some of the proposed projects.
SPECIFIC ASSISTANCE REQUESTS
3. (SBU) The leader said they were well-received at all the
ministries, many of which asked for assistance in specific
areas. For example, the Ministry of Economy and Development
identified micro-business/microcredit, export to the United
States, encouraging greater U.S. investment in Turkmenistan,
and transportation development as areas for further
cooperation. The Ministry of Culture and Broadcasting wanted
further training in television broadcasting (NOTE: A U.S
expert recruited by our Public Affairs Section recently
visited Turkmenistan to provide technical-assistance training
for TV news. Ref. B). The Ministry of Health asked the
group for training in emergency and preventive medicine. The
group this trip included a physician, who is a specialist in
emergency medicine. He gave a lecture to 100 doctors and 200
medical students on this topic. He plans to come back to
give additional lectures.
TROUBLE ON THE ICE
4. (SBU) A skating coach, who was in the group, met
separately with hockey players as well as ice skating
students, who were trying to learn ice dancing. According to
the group's leader, Turkmenistan has no ice skating coaches.
The students have tried to learn by watching videos and
training with gymnasts. The assessment of the U.S. coach was
that the young people had learned moves incorrectly.
Nevertheless, they have been able to progress from skating
backwards, which was the only thing they could do last fall
when the group last visited, to now doing some spins.
Despite the great tradition of hockey teams in the former
Soviet Union, the group claimed that Turkmen players also
needed assistance with that sport. Until recently, the
country had only separate ethnic Russian and Turkmen teams,
and the Turkmen teams were not very good. Now, there are
some combined teams, and quality has improved somewhat.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: While it is admirable that this private
group wants to offer assistance, they should not pin any
hopes on the government ponying up money for these projects.
It's not going to happen. Moreover, the Friends of the
Turkmen should probably shy away from projects that are way
over their head like transportation development. Their forte
is most likely in areas that are low-cost and emphasize
people-to-people contact such as sports coaches and guest
lecturers. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND