TURKMENISTAN: USAID IMPLEMENTER'S VISA EXTENSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000897 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN W/AID FOR EE/EA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2018 TAGS: PGOV EAID ECON TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: USAID IMPLEMENTER'S VISA EXTENSION DENIED 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 the denial of a visa extension to the Chief of Party for the Aglinks project administered by Winrock International in Turkmenistan. Hajiyev said Turkmenistan is pleased with its cooperation with USAID and wants to provide the best conditions for the work of USAID implementers and their projects. Nevertheless, despite the generally positive work of Winrock, a specific problem had arisen that necessitated denying the visa extension. Hajiyev explained that the implementer had met with a successful dairy farmer named Saidov and tried to convince him to allow Winrock to work with him in order to increase his productivity. Saidov, who has his own business plan and funding sources, declined the offer. Hajiyev claimed that the implementer, unwilling to take no for an answer, continued to push. Allegedly, the implementer threatened to work with the farmer's competitors and drive him out of business if he did not sign up with Winrock. ¶2. (C) Charge raised the humanitarian aspect of the case, since the implementer is married to a Turkmen citizen. The couple have one child and will soon have a second one. Denying the visa would necessitate splitting a family. She said Embassy officials would talk to the implementer and could ensure that a misunderstanding as occurred with the dairy farmer would never happen again. She suggested that the visa committee review the case after several weeks. (The family will be outside of Turkmenistan for the next weeks for the birth of the baby.) Hajiyev said humanitarian factors should be taken into consideration, and it would be possible to review the case, following some time, on humanitarian grounds. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: We do not know exactly what happened between the implementer and Saidov. Emboffs who know the implementer doubt he was as pushy as Hajiyev described. In any case, something upset Saidov, who then turned to friends in high places. It is clear that emphasizing the humanitarian issue as well as the one time nature of whatever occurred is the best way to lobby to overturn the decision and allow the implementer to continue work which both sides consider valuable. END COMMENT. CURRAN