TURKMENISTAN: SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR AND FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000065

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, H, EEB (AMB. MANN)
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
H PLEASE PASS TO SENATOR LUGAR
ASTANA FOR USAID/CEN
USAID/W FOR EE/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID EPET AF AZ UZ TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: SENATOR RICHARD LUGAR AND FOREIGN
MINISTER MEREDOV, JANUARY 12, 2008

REF: ASHGABAT 0062


1. (C) SUMMARY: SUMMARY: During a positive and
businesslike meeting on January 12, Foreign Minister Meredov
told Senator Lugar Turkmenistan

-- has designed its new foreign policy to further expand and
deepen relations in the world, focuses on improving regional
relations (especially with Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan),and
pays special attention to the "powerful countries" -- Russia,
China, and the United States;

-- desires to expand its security relationship with the
United States, but asks that Washington be patient as
Ashgabat reviews and carefully vets all the new proposals on
the table;

-- takes keen interest in Afghanistan and seeks to play a
bigger role in reconstruction, especially electricity and
transportation;

-- has proposed a Pipeline Security Convention to the United
Nations, in part, because of the desire for a
Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline;

-- understands the visa regime needs modernizing, but the
current system is in place to "maintain order" and prevent
those who look for "negative information" about Turkmenistan;
and

-- welcomes Senator Lugar's suggestion that conditions should
be created for President Berdimuhamedov to visit Washington.
END SUMMARY.


2. (C) In a nearly hour-long positive and businesslike
meeting on January 12 with SFRC Minority Chairman Senator
Richard Lugar and his staff, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign
Minister Rashit Meredov described Turkmenistan's foreign
policy in detail. The goal is to build new and deepen old
relations with a broad number of countries, with a special
focus on major international organizations like the United
Nations. Meredov said Ashgabat "continuously nurtures" its
relationships with neighboring states, because it is so
important to maintain them. He said Turkmenistan pays
special attention to its relations with "powerful countries,"
and listed Russia, China, and the United States. He
commented President Berdimuhamedov's extensive foreign travel
during his first year in office is evidence of Turkmenistan's
new emphasis on its foreign relations.

BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP POSITIVE AND WILL DEVELOP FURTHER, BUT
BE PATIENT


3. (C) Meredov noted President Berdimuhamedov's visit to
New York for the UNGA last September included "a very good
set of bilateral meetings," and emphasized the constructive
talks he held with Secretary Rice. Meredov said his
government wanted to emphasize to U.S. representatives that
relevant ministries are now working to implement much of what
was discussed in September. On education, the government is
examining all U.S. proposals with the intention of making
some decisions soon and moving forward on them. Further,
Turkmenistan wants to develop a deeper relationship on
security cooperation. As a neutral country, Turkmenistan
wants to expand its role in assisting in the battle against
21st century threats, especially terrorism, narcotics, and
transnational crime. Alluding to the U.S. tendency to be
impatient, he noted clearly that some proposals can be
reviewed quickly, but others take time, since they require
deeper consideration and more comprehensive vetting as

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Turkmenistan works to develop its new directions. He
expressed appreciation for everyone's patience as the process
continues.

DEEPENING INTEREST IN AFGHAN PROJECTS


4. (C) Meredov said there was a great potential for
U.S.-Turkmen cooperation on Afghanistan, because although it
is a complex problem, it is a neighboring state. He noted
the work of the United States and other members of the
international community to rebuild Afghanistan's society and
infrastructure. Turkmenistan also sees a role for itself in
helping to rebuild Afghanistan, given the country's
substantial ethnic Turkmen population. Turkmenistan is
already working cooperatively with the Afghan government on
electricity issues, and forgave $4 million of Afghanistan's
electricity-related debts during President Karzai's official
visit to Ashgabat in 2007. "That was nothing for us," he
commented, "but was major for Afghanistan."


5. (C) Meredov recounted Turkmenistan had discussed
transportation infructure with Afghan officials in 2007. As
a result, Turkmenistan had repaired the old rail line between
the Turkmen border town of Kushka and Herat in Afghanistan.
He said his government also is interested in USAID's
electricity proposals in which Turkmenistan could play a role
in providing power to the grid that would parallel
Afghanistan's ring road. He suggested Afghan officials
should renew their efforts to reach agreement with
Turkmenistan on this project.

TAP IS DRIVER FOR PIPELINE SECURITY CONVENTION PROPOSAL


6. (C) Meredov raised the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAP)
project that the Turkmen government has been advocating. He
noted U.S. companies had been involved in earlier-year
preliminary discussions. While well aware that such a
project was burdened with many pitfalls -- especially
security in Afghanistan and the complexities of transporting
hydrocarbons across Afghan, Pakistani, and Indian borders --
he judged it would be a good project for political, economic,
and social reasons. The issue of pipeline security is
relevant for all the countries involved in the project, he
said, and implied the United States should support President
Berdimuhamedov's recent call for a new UN convention on
pipeline security. Neighboring states have already indicated
their support for such a convention, he added. "This is a
pipeline-rich region. Countries rich with oil and gas
understand the need for pipeline security."

DEVELOPMENTS WITH UZBEKISTAN AND AZERBAIJAN


7. (C) Meredov noted Turkmenistan has steadily improved its
relations with Uzbekistan. President Karimov's official
visit to Turkmenistan late in 2007 went very well. A
newly-established Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan Intergovernmental
Commission on economic and trade issues will meet in Ashgabat
on January 31. An economic exhibition sponsored by the
commission will also take place then. Likewise, the first
meeting of the Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental
Commission will be on January 17. Meredov underscored that
these meetings are to be robust and substantive sessions from
which his government will expect concrete results for
advancing bilateral issues, especially economic. He noted
the special emphasis the Turkmen government has put on its
relationship with Azerbaijan. In July, September, and
November 2007, experts from both countries had met for
substantive discussions on Caspian delimitation. He expected
another one of these technical-level meetings to take place
very soon, and pointed to their regularity as an indication

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of the priority the government has placed on resolving the
delimitation issue.

VISA REGIME MAINTAINS ORDER AND PREVENTS NEGATIVE PUBLICITY


8. (C) Senator Lugar commented the American people know
little about Turkmenistan, but its reputation is expanding
due to its broad efforts to end its long political isolation
and to develop economically. He emphasized he understands
Turkmenistan will develop at its own pace, but hoped the
government would eventually simplify its visa regime to make
it easier for business people, students, and especially
tourists to visit this distinctive country.


9. (C) Meredov replied, "We limit contacts not to be
isolationist but to maintain order." However, he added,
Turkmenistan is examining its visa procedures to see if it's
possible to bring them more in line with international
standards, especially because the government supports
"people-to-people relations." He cited the U.S. sister
cities exchange program as a positive example, and noted
Turkmenistan already has many friends in the United States,
like the California-based Baptist "Friends of Turkmenistan"
group that "visits once or twice a year." He quickly added
that there were more examples he could cite. He agreed that
businessmen, students, and tourists with "good intentions"
should be able to visit Turkmenistan. "We simply ask that
they come as friends and not have ulterior motives." Meredov
praised past visits to the United States by Turkmen
government officials, students, and military representatives.
He added pointedly, "They didn't go to the United States to
look for negative information to bring back here. I
emphasize this because it is an important issue for us."
(COMMENT: Meredov's initial response about "maintaining
order" is probably the key issue, but it's clear the
government is still smarting from the years of bad press
during the Niyazov era." END COMMENT.)

BILATERAL RELATIONS SHOULD NOT BE A BUMPY RIDE


10. (C) Senator Lugar noted our good bilateral relations,
and mused it's disappointing sometimes relations between
countries can be damaged by simply a minor controversy. He
said he hopes Turkmenistan trusts U.S. intentions. Meredov
agreed that sometimes things happen, but the principle of
cooperation should override minor issues. Senator Lugar
repeated his suggestion (reftel) that Meredov and President
Berdimuhamedov should visit Washington, and elsewhere in the
United States. He said, "The conditions can be creted for a
broader visit than you had in September in New York."
Meredov responded he had discussed this with the president
and recalled Berdimuhamedov had told him, "We have to work on
this." Meredov said he appreciated the sincere invitation
and that we'd work on this together. Almost as an
afterthought, Meredov added Turkmenistan has more reforms in
the offing that will be revealed this year. Senator Lugar
responded it has been heartening to watch Turkmenistan's
progress.


11. (C) COMMENT: Although long-winded, Meredov's
comprehensive tour d'horizon of Turkmenistan's foreign
relations was an instructive seminar on post-Niyazov foreign
policy. It would be useful for USAID Afghanistan and
USAID/CEN to renew efforts to bring Turkmenistan and
Afghanistan to agreement on electricity. Meredov's comments
about Turkmen visas revealed a good deal of old-think -- the
authoritarian impulse to "maintain order" and to prevent
negative publicity about the country. Though Meredov
responded less effusively than President Berdimuhamedov to
Senator Lugar's suggestion that the president should visit

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Washington, he put himself on the record that he would work
toward that goal. END COMMENT.


12. (U) CODEL Lugar did not have an opportunity to clear
this cable but authorized its transmission.
HOAGLAND