Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT955
2008-07-24 12:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: ROMANIANS SAY BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISED TO CUT BACK GAS TO RUSSIA TO FILL NABUCCO
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000955
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET TX RO
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ROMANIANS SAY BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISED TO CUT BACK GAS TO RUSSIA TO FILL NABUCCO
Classified By: Charge Sylvia R. Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000955
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET TX RO
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ROMANIANS SAY BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISED TO CUT BACK GAS TO RUSSIA TO FILL NABUCCO
Classified By: Charge Sylvia R. Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: President Berdimuhamedov's July 16 trip to Romania appears to have been a success, yielding constructive agreements that will expand the political and economic bilateral relationship and Romania's assistance with development in the areas of education, water management, and investment. The bilateral discussion on issues relating to Nabucco held some surprises as Berdimuhamedov promised Romanian officials that Turkmenistan would even cut gas supplies to Russia, in order to assure an adequate supply to Nabucco. That said, his stance on selling gas at the border did not change. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) President Berdimuhamedov arrived in Bucharest on July 16 for a two-day official visit. Primary topics of the discussion with Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu included potential cooperation on energy, transport, construction, farming and education. The Prime Minister additionally announced that a Romanian business delegation would soon go to Ashgabat to promote greater Romanian business activity in Turkmenistan. The two also discussed the planned opening of a Turkmenistan embassy in Bucharest.
3. (U) Berdimuhamedov also met with President Traian Basescu, and the two signed an intergovernmental economic cooperation agreement, an educational cooperation agreement for 2008-2012, and a memorandum of understanding between the two foreign ministries. The two countries will soon form an intergovernmental economic commission, and Turkmenistan's President proposed that it meet in Ashgabat before the end of 2008.
4. (C) The two countries also discussed Turkmenistan's role in the EU-supported Nabucco gas pipeline project. Romanian Charg d'Affaires in Turkmenistan Trayan Bordeyanu told poloff on July 23 that Romanian officials found Berdimuhamedov to be attentive and engaged during discussions on Nabucco. He claimed that Berdimuhamedov had promised during the visit to reduce the country's gas deliveries to Russia in order to supply a Trans-Caspian/Nabucco pipeline, if stakeholder countries and international energy companies were to build the pipeline to Turkmenistan's border. Both Berdimuhamedov and Deputy Prime Minister Rashit Meredov, he said, fully understand the more profitable mathematics of selling gas to the EU versus sales to Russia. However, Bordeyanu said, Turkmenistan officials claimed to have no capital to participate in the construction of the pipeline.
5. (C) Bordeyanu, who was intimately involved in organizing the visit of the Romanian prime minister's visit to Ashgabat in May 2008 as well as Berdimuhamedov's visit to Bucharest July 16, said that Meredov gave him the impression that Turkmenistan would not have any concerns about the lack of a Caspian delimitation agreement if construction of a pipeline was to be initiated. Meredov, however, told Bordeyanu that the EU and the United States were "losing time" regarding development of a consortium of interested parties to construct the pipeline. Meredov suggested that the longer the West took to move forward on a Trans-Caspian pipeline, the more time Russia would have to resolve outstanding issues regarding Russian-oriented pipeline options.
6. (C) Berdimuhamedov visited a major oil production and processing facility and university for oil and gas studies in Ploiesti, as well as the Sinaia Ski Resort. Berdimuhamedov also extended an invitation to Romanian companies, especially energy equipment, petrochemical, and construction companies, to come and work in Turkmenistan.
7. (C) Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of Parliament Nurberdiyeva met with parliamentarians as well, and discussed the details of the education cooperation agreement, which will also provide scholarships for Turkmen students to study technology, economics, medicine and agriculture, as well as oil and gas. Bordeyanu said this agreement provided for 20 full scholarships for Turkmenistani students each year to attend 5-year university programs, with the first year focusing exclusively on Romanian language studies.
8. (U) The Turkmenistan President's delegation also included Minister of Nature Protection Akmuradov, who met with the Romanian environment minister to discuss potential cooperation on water filtration, sewage and urban waste water processing technologies. Romania may be able to play a role in assisting Turkmenistan in reducing fertilizer-based nitrite pollution that plagues Turkmenistan's water supply. Romania holds presidency of the EU's Regional Water Initiative group. The two discussed the planned EU provision of financing for a National Water Resource Policy conference in Turkmenistan in the second half of 2009.
(C) COMMENT: Turkmenistan's promise to the Romanians to cut back supplies of gas to Russia if the Trans-Caspian and Nabucco are built is very surprising, and, if true, would constitute an effort to assure prospective European customers that Turkmenistan would do what it must to guarantee an adequate gas supply in the profitable Western direction. One has to wonder, however, if the Turkmen would run the risk, when the time came, of a major run-in with the Russians that a cut back on gas would cause. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET TX RO
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ROMANIANS SAY BERDIMUHAMEDOV PROMISED TO CUT BACK GAS TO RUSSIA TO FILL NABUCCO
Classified By: Charge Sylvia R. Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: President Berdimuhamedov's July 16 trip to Romania appears to have been a success, yielding constructive agreements that will expand the political and economic bilateral relationship and Romania's assistance with development in the areas of education, water management, and investment. The bilateral discussion on issues relating to Nabucco held some surprises as Berdimuhamedov promised Romanian officials that Turkmenistan would even cut gas supplies to Russia, in order to assure an adequate supply to Nabucco. That said, his stance on selling gas at the border did not change. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) President Berdimuhamedov arrived in Bucharest on July 16 for a two-day official visit. Primary topics of the discussion with Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu included potential cooperation on energy, transport, construction, farming and education. The Prime Minister additionally announced that a Romanian business delegation would soon go to Ashgabat to promote greater Romanian business activity in Turkmenistan. The two also discussed the planned opening of a Turkmenistan embassy in Bucharest.
3. (U) Berdimuhamedov also met with President Traian Basescu, and the two signed an intergovernmental economic cooperation agreement, an educational cooperation agreement for 2008-2012, and a memorandum of understanding between the two foreign ministries. The two countries will soon form an intergovernmental economic commission, and Turkmenistan's President proposed that it meet in Ashgabat before the end of 2008.
4. (C) The two countries also discussed Turkmenistan's role in the EU-supported Nabucco gas pipeline project. Romanian Charg d'Affaires in Turkmenistan Trayan Bordeyanu told poloff on July 23 that Romanian officials found Berdimuhamedov to be attentive and engaged during discussions on Nabucco. He claimed that Berdimuhamedov had promised during the visit to reduce the country's gas deliveries to Russia in order to supply a Trans-Caspian/Nabucco pipeline, if stakeholder countries and international energy companies were to build the pipeline to Turkmenistan's border. Both Berdimuhamedov and Deputy Prime Minister Rashit Meredov, he said, fully understand the more profitable mathematics of selling gas to the EU versus sales to Russia. However, Bordeyanu said, Turkmenistan officials claimed to have no capital to participate in the construction of the pipeline.
5. (C) Bordeyanu, who was intimately involved in organizing the visit of the Romanian prime minister's visit to Ashgabat in May 2008 as well as Berdimuhamedov's visit to Bucharest July 16, said that Meredov gave him the impression that Turkmenistan would not have any concerns about the lack of a Caspian delimitation agreement if construction of a pipeline was to be initiated. Meredov, however, told Bordeyanu that the EU and the United States were "losing time" regarding development of a consortium of interested parties to construct the pipeline. Meredov suggested that the longer the West took to move forward on a Trans-Caspian pipeline, the more time Russia would have to resolve outstanding issues regarding Russian-oriented pipeline options.
6. (C) Berdimuhamedov visited a major oil production and processing facility and university for oil and gas studies in Ploiesti, as well as the Sinaia Ski Resort. Berdimuhamedov also extended an invitation to Romanian companies, especially energy equipment, petrochemical, and construction companies, to come and work in Turkmenistan.
7. (C) Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of Parliament Nurberdiyeva met with parliamentarians as well, and discussed the details of the education cooperation agreement, which will also provide scholarships for Turkmen students to study technology, economics, medicine and agriculture, as well as oil and gas. Bordeyanu said this agreement provided for 20 full scholarships for Turkmenistani students each year to attend 5-year university programs, with the first year focusing exclusively on Romanian language studies.
8. (U) The Turkmenistan President's delegation also included Minister of Nature Protection Akmuradov, who met with the Romanian environment minister to discuss potential cooperation on water filtration, sewage and urban waste water processing technologies. Romania may be able to play a role in assisting Turkmenistan in reducing fertilizer-based nitrite pollution that plagues Turkmenistan's water supply. Romania holds presidency of the EU's Regional Water Initiative group. The two discussed the planned EU provision of financing for a National Water Resource Policy conference in Turkmenistan in the second half of 2009.
(C) COMMENT: Turkmenistan's promise to the Romanians to cut back supplies of gas to Russia if the Trans-Caspian and Nabucco are built is very surprising, and, if true, would constitute an effort to assure prospective European customers that Turkmenistan would do what it must to guarantee an adequate gas supply in the profitable Western direction. One has to wonder, however, if the Turkmen would run the risk, when the time came, of a major run-in with the Russians that a cut back on gas would cause. END COMMENT.
CURRAN