Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT122
2009-01-26 11:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS USTDA REGIONAL DIRECTOR
how-toVZCZCXYZ0005 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHAH #0122 0261158 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 261158Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2203 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2543 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4746 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2408 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2994 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3276 RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000122
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, IIP, ECA
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV SCUL KPAO ETRD ECON TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS USTDA REGIONAL DIRECTOR
VISIT
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000122
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, IIP, ECA
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV SCUL KPAO ETRD ECON TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS USTDA REGIONAL DIRECTOR
VISIT
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) SUMMARY: U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director
for Europe and Eurasia, Daniel Stein, visited Turkmenistan January
7-10. State media highlighted his visit and meetings at different
GOTX ministries. The Turkmen State News Service used Post materials
and worked closely with the Public Affairs Section for much of the
coverage. International media also covered the visit based on the
state media reporting and the Embassy-issued press release. END
SUMMARY
MEDIA COVERAGE OF DAN STEIN'S VISIT TO TURKMENISTAN
3. (U) On January 8, the "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen)
highlighted Dan Stein's meetings at different ministries and
departments, emphasizing American interest in economic cooperation
with Turkmenistan. On January 11, the government-run website
"Turkmenistan Golden Age" (www.turkmenistan.gov.tm) (Turkmen,
Russian and English) accurately reported on the visit. (NOTE: The
article was written by a Turkmen State News Service (TDH)
correspondent, who actually requested and conducted the interview
with Stein and drew heavily from Post's press release for the visit.
END NOTE.) The report accurately quoted Stein, calling the results
of the visit absolutely productive, and emphasized the agreements in
developing cooperation in the telecommunications industry. On the
following day, the same article appeared in the state-run dailies
"Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 46,091) and "Turkmenistan"
(Turkmen, circ. 36,091).
4. (U) On January 12, Azeri news agency "Trend" (Russian, English),
Russian "RIA OREANDA" (English) and BBC Monitoring Central Asia
(English) also highlighted the visit. These outlets referred to the
Turkmen State News Service (TDH) report. Several days later, on
January 14, "Turkmenistan" TV channel (Russian, Turkmen, English,
Chinese, Arabian, Persian, French) carried an accurate interview
with Stein, who discussed successful results of his meetings and
expressed U.S. companies' willingness to further invest in
Turkmenistan's economy.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: Post was pleased with the interest in covering
the Stein visit shown by Turkmen State News Agency, which has often
been reluctant to work directly with the Public Affairs Section.
The use of Post's press release and coordination for an interview
are signs that Turkmen leadership expressly wanted to highlight the
Stein visit and commercial cooperation with the U.S. It may also
signal a slight opening at the state news agency. Surprisingly, the
pro-government website "turkmenistan.ru" (Russian, English) gave no
coverage about the visit. This is a rare indication of some
divergence in the normally uniform coverage of events by state media
outlets. END COMMENT
MILES
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, IIP, ECA
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV SCUL KPAO ETRD ECON TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS USTDA REGIONAL DIRECTOR
VISIT
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) SUMMARY: U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director
for Europe and Eurasia, Daniel Stein, visited Turkmenistan January
7-10. State media highlighted his visit and meetings at different
GOTX ministries. The Turkmen State News Service used Post materials
and worked closely with the Public Affairs Section for much of the
coverage. International media also covered the visit based on the
state media reporting and the Embassy-issued press release. END
SUMMARY
MEDIA COVERAGE OF DAN STEIN'S VISIT TO TURKMENISTAN
3. (U) On January 8, the "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen)
highlighted Dan Stein's meetings at different ministries and
departments, emphasizing American interest in economic cooperation
with Turkmenistan. On January 11, the government-run website
"Turkmenistan Golden Age" (www.turkmenistan.gov.tm) (Turkmen,
Russian and English) accurately reported on the visit. (NOTE: The
article was written by a Turkmen State News Service (TDH)
correspondent, who actually requested and conducted the interview
with Stein and drew heavily from Post's press release for the visit.
END NOTE.) The report accurately quoted Stein, calling the results
of the visit absolutely productive, and emphasized the agreements in
developing cooperation in the telecommunications industry. On the
following day, the same article appeared in the state-run dailies
"Neytralniy Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 46,091) and "Turkmenistan"
(Turkmen, circ. 36,091).
4. (U) On January 12, Azeri news agency "Trend" (Russian, English),
Russian "RIA OREANDA" (English) and BBC Monitoring Central Asia
(English) also highlighted the visit. These outlets referred to the
Turkmen State News Service (TDH) report. Several days later, on
January 14, "Turkmenistan" TV channel (Russian, Turkmen, English,
Chinese, Arabian, Persian, French) carried an accurate interview
with Stein, who discussed successful results of his meetings and
expressed U.S. companies' willingness to further invest in
Turkmenistan's economy.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: Post was pleased with the interest in covering
the Stein visit shown by Turkmen State News Agency, which has often
been reluctant to work directly with the Public Affairs Section.
The use of Post's press release and coordination for an interview
are signs that Turkmen leadership expressly wanted to highlight the
Stein visit and commercial cooperation with the U.S. It may also
signal a slight opening at the state news agency. Surprisingly, the
pro-government website "turkmenistan.ru" (Russian, English) gave no
coverage about the visit. This is a rare indication of some
divergence in the normally uniform coverage of events by state media
outlets. END COMMENT
MILES