TURKMENISTAN/AIR NAV FEES: DFM PROMISES TO SPEED

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000896 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2018 TAGS: PREL EAIR MARR MCAP MOPS TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN/AIR NAV FEES: DFM PROMISES TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS REF: ASHGABAT 0552 Classified By: CHARGE SYLVIA REED CURRAN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) On July 15, Charge met with DFM Wepa Hajiyev to discuss a variety of issues, including air navigation fees (reftel). Charge informed Hajiyev that DATT had contacted Turkmenistan Aviation (THY) officials, as MFA officials had suggested, in order to meet on the issue. However, THY Deputy Director/Airport General Manager Ayazov told DATT that they still had not received a response from the Cabinet of Ministers and so were unable to meet with the U.S. side. ¶2. (C) Hajiyev confirmed that the Turkmenistan government is still committed to a positive resolution of the air navigation fees issue. He apologized that "sometimes Turkmenistan bureaucracy tends to move very slowly." He promised to "speed up the process" and raise the issue personally with the Chairman of THY and a "representative of the Cabinet of Ministers" at the airport the morning of July 16 when President Berdimuhamedov departs for Romania. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: The wheels of bureaucracy do tend to move very slowly in Turkmenistan. Nevertheless, Hajiyev's confirmation of his government's commitment to reach a pragmatic resolution to the issue and his promise to personally speed up the process are both positive signs. END COMMENT. CURRAN