(U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING JANUARY -

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 030900 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/30/2034 TAGS: PINR TX SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING JANUARY - MARCH 2009 REF: A. ASHGABAT 000065 ¶B. ASHGABAT 000081 ¶C. ASHGABAT 000083 ¶D. ASHGABAT 000084 ¶E. ASHGABAT 000135 ¶F. ASHGABAT 000162 ¶G. ASHGABAT 000182 ¶H. ASHGABAT 000035 ¶I. ASHGABAT 000109 ¶J. ASHGABAT 000113 Classified By: SUZANNE MCCORMICK, DIR., INR/OPS. REASON: 1.4(C). ¶1. (C) INR/B DEPENDS ON POST,S REPORTING IN PULLING TOGETHER BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS ON TURKMEN OFFICIALS FOR US POLICYMAKERS. INR/B WISHES TO THANK POST FOR ITS CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING. REFS A-J ARE RECENT EXAMPLES OF POST,S EXCELLENT REPORTING ON TURKMEN OFFICIALS. ¶A. (C) REF A (&HOW THINGS WORK (OR DON,T) ) INSIGHTS INTO THE TURKMEN INTERAGENCY PROCESS8) WAS TRULY INSIGHTFUL. INR/B ALSO APPRECIATED REF A,S LANGUAGE ON THE DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEPUTY CHAIRMAN TAGIYEV AND ERSTWHILE STATE AGENCY DIRECTOR MURADOV. ¶B. (SBU) REF B (&TURKMENISTAN: PRESIDENT SHUFFLES GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL; ANNOUNCES 2009 PRIORITIES8) NOT ONLY PUT BERDIMUHAMEDOV,S RECENT ROUND OF PERSONNEL DECISIONS IN PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO PROVIDED OUTSTANDING LANGUAGE ON HOW THESE NEW APPOINTEES INTERACTED WITH US OFFICIALS IN THE PAST, INCLUDING DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR ECONOMY AND FINANCE JAPAROV,S EARLIER SUPPORT OF USAID PROGRAMS AND HIS DEPTH OF KNOWLEDGE ON ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING INITIATIVES. ¶C. (SBU) REF C (&TURKMENISTAN: GENERAL PETRAEUS MEETING WITH TURKMEN PRESIDENT BERDIMUHAMEDOV8) INCLUDED LANGUAGE ON HOW BERDIMUHAMEDOV CAME ACROSS DURING THE MEETING ) &RELAXED AND CONFIDENT8 ) AND THE GENERAL ATMOSPHERICS ) &WHILE THE DISCUSSION DID NOT MOVE BERDIMUHAMEDOV OFF THE DIME ON THE ISSUE OF TRANSPORTING COMMERCIAL, OVERLAND CARGO THROUGH TURKMENISTAN TO AFGHANISTAN, IT DID PROVIDE A GOOD ) RATHER INTENSE, ACTUALLY ) EXCHANGE ON THE MATTER.8 ¶D. (C) SIMILARLY, REF D (&TURKMENISTAN: GENERAL PETRAEUS MEETING WITH TURKMEN FOREIGN MINISTER8) NICELY CAPTURED FOREIGN MINISTER MEREDOV,S DEMEANOR WHEN DEALING WITH A STRAIGHTFORWARD INTERLOCUTOR. INR/B READ WITH AMUSEMENT THAT MEREDOV &HAD A DIFFICULT TIME KEEPING A STRAIGHT FACE8 WHEN HE WAS RELATING THE SOMEWHAT WORN CHESTNUT ABOUT THE ITALIAN WINE TRANSITING AFGHANISTAN. ¶E. (SBU) INR/B IS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE BIOGRAPHIC DATA IN REF E (&TURKMENISTAN: BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON KEY NEW APPOINTEES8). ¶F. (C) REF F (&TURKMENISTAN: FOREIGN MINISTER PROVIDES POSITIVE OUTLOOK FOR U.S.-TURKMEN BILATERAL RELATIONS8) INCLUDED ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE ON MEREDOV,S INTERPERSONAL STYLE ) FOR EXAMPLE, &WHILE APPEARING OPEN AND FRIENDLY, FM MEREDOV,S WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE WAS MORE EVIDENT IN AREAS THAT TOUCHED ON EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, LESS SO IN THE AREA OF HUMAN RIGHTS.8 ¶G. (C) REF G (&TURKMENISTAN: OIL AND GAS CHAIRMAN OFFERS LITTLE ADVICE ON U.S. COMPANY ACCESS8) PROVIDED OUTSTANDING LANGUAGE ON TAGIYEV,S STANDING ) HE IS VIEWED AS A &POWERFUL GATEKEEPER WHOSE SUPPORT MUST BE ACQUIRED IN ORDER TO GET ATTENTION AT THE PRESIDENTIAL LEVEL8 ) AS WELL AS HIS TIGHT-LIPPED STYLE -- &TAGIYEV WAS NOT INCLINED TO EXCHANGE SUBSTANTIVE VIEWS ON DOING BUSINESS IN TURKMENISTAN, OR ON THE RECENT NABUCCO CONFERENCE THAT HE ATTENDED.8 ¶H. (U) INR/B IS ALSO GRATEFUL FOR THE BIOGRAPHIC DATA ON MEJLIS DEPUTIES IN REFS H-J. ¶2. (SBU) INR/B WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SATISFY THE REQUESTS OF US POLICYMAKERS WITHOUT POST,S REPORTING. MANY THANKS AGAIN, AND REGARDS FROM WASHINGTON. CLINTON