TURKMENISTAN RE-ESTABLISHES ITS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000767 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON COMMERCE FOR HUEPER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TSPL PGOV TPHY SCUL SOCI TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN RE-ESTABLISHES ITS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 12, President Berdimuhamedov signed a decree re-establishing the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan as the country's premier scientific institution. It marked the end of the Supreme Council for Science and Technology, a forward-looking USG partner in several education-related projects. According to the official media, the action was taken in order to streamline Turkmenistan's scientific and technology policy, facilitate the increased application of new technologies to the economy, work out state programs for scientific and technical development, and efficiently implement those programs. END SUMMARY ¶3. (SBU) The Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan (then Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic) was first established in ¶1951. It was closed by former President Niyazov as part of his policy geared towards suppressing science and education. Replaced by the Supreme Council on Science and Technology, the new institution never received adequate financing under the Niyazov regime. In 2007, President Berdimuhamedov allowed re- establishment of the Academy of Sciences as a public association, but without any provision for state funding. In June 2008, he announced that the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan would be re-established as a state-financed body, but it was only one year later on June 12 that he signed the relevant decree. ¶4. (SBU) The Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan will be based at the building of the now abolished Supreme Council on Science and Technology and will inherit all the assets of that organization. The Academy will also assume the functions of the Supreme Council and take over research institutes that used to be under the Supreme Council's umbrella plus six research institutes that are either newly established or were under various other governmental agencies. Whereas the Supreme Council was subordinate to the President of Turkmenistan, the High Attestation Committee was also transferred to the Academy and made subordinate to the Cabinet of Ministers. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: At this point it is not clear whether the re-establishment of the Academy will really facilitate the development of science in Turkmenistan or is nothing more than just the new name of the previously existing organization. The situation will become clearer when the statute of the Academy is adopted and it will start functioning at the full swing. At this point, the fact that the Academy will be run by a new team might indicate that there will be changes in the way the development of science is coordinated. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: Gurbnamurat Mezilov, the newly appointed acting President of the Academy of Sciences, is known to Post because of educational work at the Pedagogical Institute in Turkmenabat. He is known for having delayed or interfered with English language fellow workshops at the Institute in Turkmenabat -- even programs that had been approved by the government, once requiring the intervention of Ministry of Education's Nury Bayramov, who himself is usually obstructionist, to allow the workshop to take place. Former Deputy Chairwoman of the Supreme Council, Akjeren Allanurova, a strong support of USG programs, was reassigned as the provost for scientific work at Turkmen Polytechnical Institute. END COMMENT MILES