SENATOR LUGAR'S LETTER TO PRESIDENT BERDIMUHAMEDOV

UNCLAS STATE 058316

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET PREL AJ TX
SUBJECT: SENATOR LUGAR'S LETTER TO PRESIDENT BERDIMUHAMEDOV



1. This is an action request see paragraph 2.


2. Post is requested to pass this letter from Senator
Richard Lugar to President Berdimuhamedov to the Foreign
Ministry for transmission to the President's office. The
original will follow by pouch.


3. Begin text of letter:

Dear Mr. President,

I read with great interest various reports of your recent
visit to Baku to meet with President Aliyev. I am hopeful
that your meetings were fruitful and that relations between
Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan will continue to strengthen and
grow.

Energy cooperation can be a cornerstone of enhanced relations
between your countries. I am hopeful that increased
cooperation might also facilitate exchanges of experts in
this area. Cooperative efforts to construct the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and South Caucus pipelines have brought
great benefit to the sovereign independence of those
countries. It has also facilitated wider cooperation on
security and economic matters.

I fondly recall our meeting in January. Your willingness to
engage with Presidents Aliyev and Saakashvilli and deliver
Turkmenistani gas through trans-Caspian outlets was very
encouraging. By diversifying export routes, competition is
created amongst transit and consuming countries. I believe
this will permit Turkmenistan to reinforce its political
independence in the region and strengthen its market
position, which will ultimately benefit the people of
Turkmenistan. Likewise, the United States and indeed global
energy security is enhanced by diversified export routes for
Central Asian gas.

I have written to Secretary of State Rice and encouraged her
to invite you to visit Washington in the near future. I hope
to host you and your colleagues for a visit to the Senate of
the United States.

Sincerely,
Richard G. Lugar
Ranking Member

End text of letter.

RICE

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