(U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING: APRIL -

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 073180 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/14/2034 TAGS: PINR TX SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING: APRIL - JUNE 2009 REF: A. ASHGABAT 000490 ¶B. ASHGABAT 000495 ¶C. ASHGABAT 000526 ¶D. ASHGABAT 000655 ¶E. ASHGABAT 000673 ¶F. ASHGABAT 000678 ¶G. ASHGABAT 000694 ¶H. ASHGABAT 000761 ¶I. ASHGABAT 000767 ¶J. ASHGABAT 000773 Classified By: MICHAEL P. OWENS, ACTING 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 USE BY 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 (&TURKMENISTAN: DAYS OF (PRESIDENTIAL) FOLDERS AND ROSES8) NICELY ILLUSTRATED THE TURKMEN LEADERSHIP,S FIXATION WITH FORM OVER SUBSTANCE ) A LEGACY FROM THE NIYAZOV ERA. ¶B. (C) REF B (&TURKMEN PRESIDENT IS MIGHTILY ANNOYED WITH GAZPROM; DOES NOT AGREE TO INCREASED OVER FLIGHTS BUT LEAVES AN OPENING FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION8) PROVIDED OUTSTANDING LANGUAGE ON THE ATMOSPHERICS OF THE MEETING ) &FREE WHEELING, FREE OF CANT8 AND A &MORE FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS THAN USUAL.8 ¶C. (C) REF C (&DAS KROL,S MEETING WITH TURKMENISTAN,S MINISTER OF ENERGY: FULFILLING THE PRESIDENT,S MANDATE8) OFFERED A GOOD READOUT ON ENERGY MINISTER YARMUHAMMET ORAZGULIYEV ) &STRIKINGLY ON TOP OF ALL THE ISSUES AND SEEMED SURPRISINGLY FORTHCOMING8 AND &RELAXED, IN CONTROL AND COMPLETELY ENGAGED RATHER THAN SIMPLY RECITING GOVERNMENTAL TALKING POINTS.8 ¶D. (SBU ) SIMILAR TO REF A, REF D (&TURKMENISTAN TO PRODUCE METAL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS8) HIGHLIGHTS PROBLEMS WITH THE TURKMEN LEADERSHIP,S DECISIONMAKING ) A PREFERENCE FOR USELESS SHOW PROJECTS OVER WHAT THE COUNTRY REALLY NEEDS. ¶E. (C) REF E (&TURKMENISTAN: BERDIMUHAMEDOV ALLEGEDLY FURIOUS OVER DELAYED DELIVERY OF NEW BENTLEY8) AND REF J (&TURKMENISTAN: NUMBER 1 IS HAPPY, ABOUT THE DELIVERY OF HIS NEW BENTLEY8) NOT ONLY INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT BERDIMUHAMEDOV,S LAVISH LIFESTYLE, BUT ALSO INFORMATION ON THE OFFICIALS WHO CATER TO THE PRESIDENT AND HOW THE TURKMEN VIEW THE LEADER OF THEIR COUNTRY. ¶F. (SBU) IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING BACKGROUND ON THE REASONS BEHIND THE REMOVAL OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER ORAZGELDI AMANMYRADOV, REF F (&TURKMENISTAN: PHYSICIANS, ARREST FOR SELLING DRUGS PRECIPITATES MINISTER,S DISMISSAL8) INCLUDED USEFUL INFORMATION ON THE NEW INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER ISGENDER MULIKOV. ¶G. (C) LIKE REF B, REF G (&TURKMENISTAN: PRESIDENT STATES HIS INTENT TO EXPAND COOPERATION WITH UNITED STATES8) INCLUDED SIMILARLY HELPFUL LANGUAGE ON THE ATMOSPHERICS OF THE MEETING ) &BERDIMUHAMEDOV WAS IN FINE FORM, EXPANSIVE AND STILL IN THE FORTHCOMING MODE WE HAVE NOTICED EVER SINCE THE GAS EXPLOSION WITH RUSSIA.8 ¶H. (SBU) INR/B APPRECIATED THE BIOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON CHAIRMAN OF THE MEJLIS EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND CULTURE COMMITTEE VLADIMIR GUBANOV IN REF H (&TURKMENISTAN: MEJLIS COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND CULTURE GRAPPLES WITH HUGE REFORM MANDATE8). REF H ALSO INCLUDED A GOOD DESCRIPTION ON HOW GUBANOV CAME ACROSS DURING THE MEETING AND HOW HE BEHAVED IN PREVIOUS INTERACTIONS WITH POST. ¶I. (SBU) REF I (&TURKMENISTAN RE-ESTABLISHES ITS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES8) PROVIDED A HELPFUL READOUT ON THE NEWLY APPOINTED ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES GURBNAMURAT MEZILOV. ¶2. (SBU) MANY THANKS AGAIN. INR/B WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SATISFY THE REQUESTS OF US POLICYMAKERS WITHOUT POST,S REPORTING. CLINTON