Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT527
2008-04-28 08:02:00
SECRET
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT TO VISIT BAKU, SEEK

Tags:  PGOV PREL EPET RS AJ TX 
pdf how-to read a cable
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O 280802Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0683
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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000527 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR E, SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2028
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET RS AJ TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT TO VISIT BAKU, SEEK
CASPIAN COMMERCIAL DEAL; REQUESTS U.S. QUIET DIPLOMACY

Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4 (B),(D)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000527

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR E, SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/22/2028
TAGS: PGOV PREL EPET RS AJ TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT TO VISIT BAKU, SEEK
CASPIAN COMMERCIAL DEAL; REQUESTS U.S. QUIET DIPLOMACY

Classified By: CDA RICHARD E. HOAGLAND: 1.4 (B),(D)


1. (S) SUMMARY: President Berdimuhamedov has asked the
United States to play a watchful and helpful role as he
negotiates with Azerbaijan's President Aliyev to establish a
bilateral Caspian Sea commercial venture that would allow
Turkmenistan's natural gas to flow Westward to Europe,
bypassing Russia. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and
Agricultural Affairs and Coordinator for International Energy
Affairs Reuben Jeffery met for 90 minutes April 21 with
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. The president told
Jeffery he plans an official visit to Baku in May (date to be
determined) and hopes to reach agreement with Azerbaijan's
President Ilham Aliyev for a joint commercial venture in the
disputed area of the Caspian Sea that would allow Turkmen
natural gas to flow westward. Other topics reported septel.

LET TURKMEN GAS FLOW WEST TO EUROPE


3. (S) Berdimuhamedov made clear, as he has before, that he
wants a joint commercial deal with Azerbaijan well before the
two countries achieve bilateral Caspian delimitation,
although the existing bilateral expert-level working group
will continue its bimonthly deliberations "with lawyers and
cartographers." He said he wants to link existing Turkmen
and Azeri Caspian production infrastructures so that Turkmen
gas can flow West, but he is not yet ready to approve the
USTDA-proposed feasibility study. In his words, "The
political comes first, then the technical."

DISPUTED CASPIAN FIELDS


4. (S) He wants the Turkmen gas that will flow West to come
from a Turkmen-Azeri joint commercial venture in the disputed
Caspian fields of Serdar, Osman, and Omar (named on the Azeri
side Kyapaz and ACG). He all but made 100% Turkmen ownership
of Serdar/Kyapaz as his red line, but said Osman-Oman/ACG
"can be discussed." He said he didn't especially care how

the area is exploited -- by a consortium or by British
Petroleum or by Chevron. He insisted such a deal would be
profitable for both Turkmenistan and for Azerbaijan.
Berdimuhamedov said if he and Aliyev can reach this deal,
then the feasibility study would be the immediate next step.

U.S. QUIET DIPLOMACY


5. (S) Berdimuhamedov said to Jeffery, "If Aliyev and I
cannot reach agreement, then we will need your help." He
also asked that before he meets with Aliyev, the United
States "help him (Aliyev) understand" the key points:
Serdar/Kyapaz belongs 100% to Turkmenistan, Osman-Omar/ACG
can be discussed, and the commercial joint venture is how to
get Turkmen gas flowing directly West for Nabucco.


6. (S) Berdimuhamedov said one thing worries him. Restating
for the umpteenth time Turkmenistan sells its gas at its
border (littoral or maritime),he wants to know who will buy
the gas that will ultimately flow west. He said he does not
want multiple buyers, nor does he want what could become, as
he put it, "a Russia-Ukraine" situation. He said he wants a
reliable, long-term partner "without hanky-panky."


7. (S) Berdimuhamedov said Turkmenistan would consult
closely with the United States as he works to achieve his
goals with Azerbaijan. Pantomiming someone peering over a
fence, he chuckled and said, "Every big neighbor is watching
closely what we will do." He once again reiterated, "This is
business, not politics." He then added, "We want a technical

ASHGABAT 00000527 002 OF 002


proposal from you" (specifically for this project).
(COMMENT: We suggest it would be a welcome gesture and would
appear forthcoming if Under Secretary Jeffery would send a
letter to Berdimuhamedov before/before the president goes to
Baku outlining the international view of how a production
pipeline and the associated bilateral joint venture could
work, emphasizing that the "technical details" would be
decided initially by the USTDA feasibility study. END
COMMENT.)

KEEP IT OUT OF THE MEDIA


8. (S) In closing, Berdimuhamedov told Jeffery, I want to
emphasize that I have been open and frank with you. After a
separate meeting later in the day with Deputy Prime
Minister/Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov, at the end of the
meeting, in an unprecedented gesture, Meredov clasped
Jeffery's arm and walked him out of the Ministry while
emphasizing tete-a-tete and in English, "The president was
very frank and open with you. We very much want to make this
work." In a follow-on meeting at OOB the next morning,
Meredov repeated the same points to the Charge. He
emphasized, "Only Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and the United
States will be in on this. We trust you, but this must
remain very, very close hold. Tell your people in Washington
we do not want to see this in the media. We do not want
'others' to cause problems." He further said he and
Berdimuhamedov do not fully trust the European Union, and
that is why, whenever European or other interlocutors bring
up Nabucco, the president always asks, "Who supports
Nabucco?" Meredov said Berdimuhamedov wants to hear them say
the magic name, "United States."


9. (S) COMMENT: While Berdimuhamedov implicitly appealing
to the United States to support his position with Azerbaijan
potentially puts us in an awkward position, it also offers
great opportunity, if we handle it wisely, to move forward
the trans-Caspian flow of Turkmenistan's gas to Europe,
bypassing Russia. END COMMENT.


10. (U) Under Secretary Jeffery has cleared this cable.
CURRAN