Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1263
2009-10-02 12:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
INDIA HOLDS MODEST EXPECTATIONS FOR RELATIONHSIP
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001263
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2019
TAGS: EINV EPET PREL IN AF TX
SUBJECT: INDIA HOLDS MODEST EXPECTATIONS FOR RELATIONHSIP
WITH TURKMENISTAN
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001263
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2019
TAGS: EINV EPET PREL IN AF TX
SUBJECT: INDIA HOLDS MODEST EXPECTATIONS FOR RELATIONHSIP
WITH TURKMENISTAN
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Despite positive reports in Turkmen
newspapers about the Indian External Affairs Minister's trip
to Turkmenistan, a contact at the Indian Embassy expressed
frustration with the way of doing business in Turkmenistan
and the results of previous projects. He noted that the
Turkmen are not taking advantage of Indian offers of lines of
credit or study abroad programs for Turkmen students. If
Indian companies want to increase their presence in
Turkmenistan, they will need time, patience, and the support
of their government, but they will first need to decide
whether the results would be worth the commitment. END
SUMMARY.
2. (C) Sham Mudgil, the DCM at the Indian Embassy in
Ashgabat, told POLOFF that joint projects between
Turkmenistan and India were very limited in scope and number.
State-run newspaper Neytralniy Turkmenistan gave a typical
glowing report about Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M.
Krishna's trip on 18-19 September, describing previous
cooperation in education and healthcare, and giving the
impression that the External Affairs Minister had discussed
new projects in information technology, education, the
sciences, and the energy sphere. Mudgil said that the only
concrete project discussed was one to establish an
India-Turkmenistan Center for Information Technology to train
Turkmen in computer technology. The External Affairs
Minister gave Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov a memorandum
of understanding (MOU),and the Indians are now waiting for
final approval to begin building the center, for which they
will foot the bill.
3. (C) Mudgil said that in the past India had extended
Turkmenistan two lines of credit, which the Turkmen only
partially used. They opened a pharmaceutical factory in 2003
jointly with an Indian company, but since 2006 the factory
has been owned and run solely by the Turkmen. Mudgil
mentioned that an Indian construction company, Pamposh,
constructed the Nissa hotel, but Pamposh was only a
sub-contractor to a French company. The Indian government
sponsors a Hindi language chair at the Azadi Institute, the
Turkmen Institute of Foreign Languages. It also offers 25-30
places a year, all expenses paid, for Turkmen students at
Indian universities. Mudgil said the Turkmen are not taking
advantage of those student program because of the language
barrier.
4. (C) When asked if there had been any discussion of the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline,
Mudgil said that Turkmenistan had, as usual, expressed
interest in the pipeline. He noted that India was also
interested in the pipeline and had even signed an MOU.
However, he does not believe the pipeline will come to
fruition any time soon, if ever, because the Asian
Development Bank (ADB),which would fund TAPI, will not spend
any money until all four countries have signed the MOU and
the security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan stabilizes.
5. (C) In general, Mudgil was frustrated with the way of
doing business in Turkmenistan. He compared it unfavorably
to a previous assignment in Mazar-e-sharif. He said that in
Afghanistan, he was able to pick up the phone and make
appointments with government officials for the same day,
whereas in Turkmenistan arranging a government meeting takes
months. In addition, the Afghan government took advantage of
the aid India offered, which amounted to $1.2 billion a year.
750 Afghan students study in India every year.
6. (C) COMMENT: Indian companies have apparently not gained
regular access to the Turkmen economy. This takes time and
patience on the part of the companies, as well as government
support. It remains to be seen if the Indians deem the
Turkmen market worth this investment. However, the
ASHGABAT 00001263 002 OF 002
frustration that Mudgil expressed in private was not apparent
in the Indian Embassy's press release about the External
Affairs Minister's trip, showing that the Indian government
also wanted to put a positive spin on a visit that resulted
in few deliverables. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2019
TAGS: EINV EPET PREL IN AF TX
SUBJECT: INDIA HOLDS MODEST EXPECTATIONS FOR RELATIONHSIP
WITH TURKMENISTAN
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: Despite positive reports in Turkmen
newspapers about the Indian External Affairs Minister's trip
to Turkmenistan, a contact at the Indian Embassy expressed
frustration with the way of doing business in Turkmenistan
and the results of previous projects. He noted that the
Turkmen are not taking advantage of Indian offers of lines of
credit or study abroad programs for Turkmen students. If
Indian companies want to increase their presence in
Turkmenistan, they will need time, patience, and the support
of their government, but they will first need to decide
whether the results would be worth the commitment. END
SUMMARY.
2. (C) Sham Mudgil, the DCM at the Indian Embassy in
Ashgabat, told POLOFF that joint projects between
Turkmenistan and India were very limited in scope and number.
State-run newspaper Neytralniy Turkmenistan gave a typical
glowing report about Indian Minister of External Affairs S.M.
Krishna's trip on 18-19 September, describing previous
cooperation in education and healthcare, and giving the
impression that the External Affairs Minister had discussed
new projects in information technology, education, the
sciences, and the energy sphere. Mudgil said that the only
concrete project discussed was one to establish an
India-Turkmenistan Center for Information Technology to train
Turkmen in computer technology. The External Affairs
Minister gave Turkmen President Berdimuhamedov a memorandum
of understanding (MOU),and the Indians are now waiting for
final approval to begin building the center, for which they
will foot the bill.
3. (C) Mudgil said that in the past India had extended
Turkmenistan two lines of credit, which the Turkmen only
partially used. They opened a pharmaceutical factory in 2003
jointly with an Indian company, but since 2006 the factory
has been owned and run solely by the Turkmen. Mudgil
mentioned that an Indian construction company, Pamposh,
constructed the Nissa hotel, but Pamposh was only a
sub-contractor to a French company. The Indian government
sponsors a Hindi language chair at the Azadi Institute, the
Turkmen Institute of Foreign Languages. It also offers 25-30
places a year, all expenses paid, for Turkmen students at
Indian universities. Mudgil said the Turkmen are not taking
advantage of those student program because of the language
barrier.
4. (C) When asked if there had been any discussion of the
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline,
Mudgil said that Turkmenistan had, as usual, expressed
interest in the pipeline. He noted that India was also
interested in the pipeline and had even signed an MOU.
However, he does not believe the pipeline will come to
fruition any time soon, if ever, because the Asian
Development Bank (ADB),which would fund TAPI, will not spend
any money until all four countries have signed the MOU and
the security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan stabilizes.
5. (C) In general, Mudgil was frustrated with the way of
doing business in Turkmenistan. He compared it unfavorably
to a previous assignment in Mazar-e-sharif. He said that in
Afghanistan, he was able to pick up the phone and make
appointments with government officials for the same day,
whereas in Turkmenistan arranging a government meeting takes
months. In addition, the Afghan government took advantage of
the aid India offered, which amounted to $1.2 billion a year.
750 Afghan students study in India every year.
6. (C) COMMENT: Indian companies have apparently not gained
regular access to the Turkmen economy. This takes time and
patience on the part of the companies, as well as government
support. It remains to be seen if the Indians deem the
Turkmen market worth this investment. However, the
ASHGABAT 00001263 002 OF 002
frustration that Mudgil expressed in private was not apparent
in the Indian Embassy's press release about the External
Affairs Minister's trip, showing that the Indian government
also wanted to put a positive spin on a visit that resulted
in few deliverables. END COMMENT.
CURRAN