Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT38
2009-01-09 12:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
how-toVZCZCXRO3226 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHAH #0038 0091256 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 091256Z JAN 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2095 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4658 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2461 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2326 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2906 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3200
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000038
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
USTDA FOR STEIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019
TAGS: PREL ECPS EIND TBIO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON BOARD FOR ICT ORIENTATION VISIT
REF: 08 ASHGABAT 1642
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, per reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000038
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
USTDA FOR STEIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019
TAGS: PREL ECPS EIND TBIO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON BOARD FOR ICT ORIENTATION VISIT
REF: 08 ASHGABAT 1642
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, per reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Minister of Communications, Resulberdi
Hojagurbanov, said at a January 7 meeting with the Director
of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Europe and
Eurasia, Daniel Stein, that the Ministry has great interest
in the proposed orientation visit for Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) specialists planned for March
2009 (reftel). He added that the Cabinet of Ministers had
already discussed it. Hojagurbanov stated that the draft
presentation prepared in advance for Turkmenistan was
interesting and said that they would fill it out as soon as
possible. He offered to add to the presentation some
information on the television tower that is projected to be
completed in 2011 and which will broadcast 15 channels using
state-of-the-art technology. He added that the President
wants to expand Internet use to all levels of society. He
also said that Turkmenistan currently has two cellular
telephone service providers -- Altyn Asyr and MTS (Russia) --
and that the country is looking to add additional service
providers. Hojagurbanov said that the U.S. information
technology sector is very developed and that Turkmenistan can
learn a lot from U.S. companies. He mentioned in closing
that the Turkmen delegation would like to meet specifically
with Hewlett Packard and Network Solutions.
3. (SBU) Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Palvan Taganov, said in a meeting on January 8 that his trips
to the United States (on a State Department program) and
Europe have been useful, and that he would appreciate the
opportunity to visit trade shows in the United States or to
meet with counterparts to learn about U.S. trade show
business practices, with an emphasis on marketing of trade
shows. Taganov said that he was aware of the
U.S.-Turkmenistan Business Council, but said that he has not
met anyone from the Council. He said that exposure to
foreign experience convinced him to make membership in the
Chamber voluntary. The Chamber is comprised of both public
and private companies and organizations. After Stein asked
him -- twice -- how many companies belong to the Chamber,
Taganov said about 150. Taganov added that he hopes that
some Turkmen companies will attend a trade show in the U.S.
sometime in 2009. Taganov added that Turkmenistan's trade
shows are famousall over the world and that his organization
receives calls from people looking for information on the
shows well in advance.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
informally notified post on January 9 that the Cabinet of
Ministers approved the orientation visit, so it appears to be
on track. While organizers of this visit should not point it
out to the Turkmen delegation, the visit will be an
eye-opening experience for the Turkmen, both on the level of
business and technology. For example, the scope of
Turkmenistan's knowledge of the U.S. technology industry
appears to focus on Hewlett Packard, Cisco Systems, and
Internet domain name registration, and in reality, those
companies comprise only a fraction of what is available just
in Silicon Valley. END COMMENT.
MILES
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
USTDA FOR STEIN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/2019
TAGS: PREL ECPS EIND TBIO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON BOARD FOR ICT ORIENTATION VISIT
REF: 08 ASHGABAT 1642
Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, per reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) Minister of Communications, Resulberdi
Hojagurbanov, said at a January 7 meeting with the Director
of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Europe and
Eurasia, Daniel Stein, that the Ministry has great interest
in the proposed orientation visit for Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) specialists planned for March
2009 (reftel). He added that the Cabinet of Ministers had
already discussed it. Hojagurbanov stated that the draft
presentation prepared in advance for Turkmenistan was
interesting and said that they would fill it out as soon as
possible. He offered to add to the presentation some
information on the television tower that is projected to be
completed in 2011 and which will broadcast 15 channels using
state-of-the-art technology. He added that the President
wants to expand Internet use to all levels of society. He
also said that Turkmenistan currently has two cellular
telephone service providers -- Altyn Asyr and MTS (Russia) --
and that the country is looking to add additional service
providers. Hojagurbanov said that the U.S. information
technology sector is very developed and that Turkmenistan can
learn a lot from U.S. companies. He mentioned in closing
that the Turkmen delegation would like to meet specifically
with Hewlett Packard and Network Solutions.
3. (SBU) Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Palvan Taganov, said in a meeting on January 8 that his trips
to the United States (on a State Department program) and
Europe have been useful, and that he would appreciate the
opportunity to visit trade shows in the United States or to
meet with counterparts to learn about U.S. trade show
business practices, with an emphasis on marketing of trade
shows. Taganov said that he was aware of the
U.S.-Turkmenistan Business Council, but said that he has not
met anyone from the Council. He said that exposure to
foreign experience convinced him to make membership in the
Chamber voluntary. The Chamber is comprised of both public
and private companies and organizations. After Stein asked
him -- twice -- how many companies belong to the Chamber,
Taganov said about 150. Taganov added that he hopes that
some Turkmen companies will attend a trade show in the U.S.
sometime in 2009. Taganov added that Turkmenistan's trade
shows are famousall over the world and that his organization
receives calls from people looking for information on the
shows well in advance.
4. (SBU) COMMENT: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
informally notified post on January 9 that the Cabinet of
Ministers approved the orientation visit, so it appears to be
on track. While organizers of this visit should not point it
out to the Turkmen delegation, the visit will be an
eye-opening experience for the Turkmen, both on the level of
business and technology. For example, the scope of
Turkmenistan's knowledge of the U.S. technology industry
appears to focus on Hewlett Packard, Cisco Systems, and
Internet domain name registration, and in reality, those
companies comprise only a fraction of what is available just
in Silicon Valley. END COMMENT.
MILES