Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1145
2009-09-09 12:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT WANTS NATIONAL
how-toVZCZCXRO1474 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #1145/01 2521238 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 091238Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3432 INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5644 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3362 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3226 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3887 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1132 RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3877 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001145
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT EINV ECON PINR PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT WANTS NATIONAL
SATELLITE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001145
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT EINV ECON PINR PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT WANTS NATIONAL
SATELLITE
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov announced plans to launch the country's
first national satellite. The satellite would support
telephone and Internet communications, hydrocarbon
industries, and Turkmen TV channels. The satellite
might also service the automated system of road
traffic control. The government announced that the
new satellite would greatly improve Internet access
throughout the country, while providing valuable data
to help solve environmental issues in the Aral and
Caspian seas. There seems to be consensus among our
contacts in Ashgabat that a national satellite would
lead not only to greater communications, but also to
greater government monitoring of the population. END
SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) On September 5, Berdimuhamedov instructed
Deputy Chairman for Transport and Communications
Nazarguly Shagulyev to prepare a request for proposals
for Turkmenistan's first national communications
satellite. The Turkmen leader stated "When
Turkmenistan has its own satellite, it will provide a
powerful impetus for speeding up the development of
the communications system, and the Internet and
television channels in the country; it will speed up
the implementation of environmental programs and
broaden opportunities for using state-of-the-art
methods for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration, as
well as the successful implementation of many other
national programs."
4. (SBU) To date, Turkmenistan has depended on Russian
satellites for its communication needs. Five Turkmen
government-controlled TV channels are broadcast via
the Russian satellite "Yamal," which is reportedly
owned by Gazprom media holdings. Given strained
Turkmen-Russian relations over gas, the argument for a
Turkmen satellite, in lieu of renting from the
Russians, has only strengthened since April when
Russia stopped buying Turkmen gas.
5. (SBU) Greater government control of its hydrocarbon
resources is rumored to be one of the chief motivators
for a Turkmen national satellite. Major oil deposits
in Turkmenistan lie in the western part of the
country; whereas, the largest natural gas fields are
in the southeast, making it difficult for the
government to monitor production sites without a
satellite. With increased foreign investment in the
sector, it is reported that the Turkmen Oil & Gas
Ministry has been ordered to use satellite monitoring
systems on its foreign partners. It is rumored that
employees of some foreign energy companies have been
recently caught stealing oil and gas products, which
elevated the need for more high-tech monitoring.
Embassy sources also told us that the government plans
to use the satellite to monitor gas stations across
the country, since gasoline in Turkmenistan is
subsidized by the government and very cheap. As a
result, some of the cheap gasoline is reportedly
smuggled to neighboring Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
6. (SBU) Experts believe that a Turkmen satellite will
not automatically mean improved Internet and mobile
service capability for private service providers, but
overall Internet access would increase, meshing with
ASHGABAT 00001145 002 OF 002
recent government promises to make the Internet
available to all Turkmen citizens. Other sources
opined that the Turkmen government would continue to
follow the Chinese model of strictly regulating the
Internet.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: In sharp contrast to the previous
president, who launched his spiritual epic and
guidance book known as the "Ruhnama" into space via a
specially designed container placed in a satellite,
the current Turkmen president seems to at least
acknowledge the need to improve Turkmen communications
capabilities. But even if the new satellite does
provide greater connection to the outside world, it
could also be used to increase government
monitoring and control. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB
COMMERCE FOR EHOUSE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EINT EINV ECON PINR PGOV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PRESIDENT WANTS NATIONAL
SATELLITE
1. (U) Sensitive But Unclassified. Not for Public
Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Turkmen President Gurbanguly
Berdimuhamedov announced plans to launch the country's
first national satellite. The satellite would support
telephone and Internet communications, hydrocarbon
industries, and Turkmen TV channels. The satellite
might also service the automated system of road
traffic control. The government announced that the
new satellite would greatly improve Internet access
throughout the country, while providing valuable data
to help solve environmental issues in the Aral and
Caspian seas. There seems to be consensus among our
contacts in Ashgabat that a national satellite would
lead not only to greater communications, but also to
greater government monitoring of the population. END
SUMMARY.
3. (SBU) On September 5, Berdimuhamedov instructed
Deputy Chairman for Transport and Communications
Nazarguly Shagulyev to prepare a request for proposals
for Turkmenistan's first national communications
satellite. The Turkmen leader stated "When
Turkmenistan has its own satellite, it will provide a
powerful impetus for speeding up the development of
the communications system, and the Internet and
television channels in the country; it will speed up
the implementation of environmental programs and
broaden opportunities for using state-of-the-art
methods for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration, as
well as the successful implementation of many other
national programs."
4. (SBU) To date, Turkmenistan has depended on Russian
satellites for its communication needs. Five Turkmen
government-controlled TV channels are broadcast via
the Russian satellite "Yamal," which is reportedly
owned by Gazprom media holdings. Given strained
Turkmen-Russian relations over gas, the argument for a
Turkmen satellite, in lieu of renting from the
Russians, has only strengthened since April when
Russia stopped buying Turkmen gas.
5. (SBU) Greater government control of its hydrocarbon
resources is rumored to be one of the chief motivators
for a Turkmen national satellite. Major oil deposits
in Turkmenistan lie in the western part of the
country; whereas, the largest natural gas fields are
in the southeast, making it difficult for the
government to monitor production sites without a
satellite. With increased foreign investment in the
sector, it is reported that the Turkmen Oil & Gas
Ministry has been ordered to use satellite monitoring
systems on its foreign partners. It is rumored that
employees of some foreign energy companies have been
recently caught stealing oil and gas products, which
elevated the need for more high-tech monitoring.
Embassy sources also told us that the government plans
to use the satellite to monitor gas stations across
the country, since gasoline in Turkmenistan is
subsidized by the government and very cheap. As a
result, some of the cheap gasoline is reportedly
smuggled to neighboring Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
6. (SBU) Experts believe that a Turkmen satellite will
not automatically mean improved Internet and mobile
service capability for private service providers, but
overall Internet access would increase, meshing with
ASHGABAT 00001145 002 OF 002
recent government promises to make the Internet
available to all Turkmen citizens. Other sources
opined that the Turkmen government would continue to
follow the Chinese model of strictly regulating the
Internet.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: In sharp contrast to the previous
president, who launched his spiritual epic and
guidance book known as the "Ruhnama" into space via a
specially designed container placed in a satellite,
the current Turkmen president seems to at least
acknowledge the need to improve Turkmen communications
capabilities. But even if the new satellite does
provide greater connection to the outside world, it
could also be used to increase government
monitoring and control. END COMMENT.
CURRAN