(U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING ON TURKMEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 011324 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2035 TAGS: PINR TX SUBJECT: (U) KUDOS FOR BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING ON TURKMEN OFFICIALS: OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2009 REF: A. ASHGABAT 001295 ¶B. ASHGABAT 001328 ¶C. ASHGABAT 001382 ¶D. ASHGABAT 001409 ¶E. ASHGABAT 001481 ¶F. ASHGABAT 001500 ¶G. ASHGABAT 001503 ¶H. ASHGABAT 001633 ¶I. ASHGABAT 001662 Classified By: ELISSA G. PITTERLE, DIRECTOR, INR/OPS ¶1. (C) WASHINGTON ANALYSTS DEPEND ON POST'S REPORTING IN PULLING TOGETHER BIOGRAPHIC REPORTS ON TURKMEN OFFICIALS FOR USE BY U.S. POLICYMAKERS. WE WISH TO THANK POST FOR ITS CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO BIOGRAPHIC REPORTING. REFS A-I ARE RECENT EXAMPLES OF POST'S OUTSTANDING REPORTING ON TURKMEN OFFICIALS. ¶A. (C) REF A PROVIDED EXCELLENT BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT ON THE LATEST PERSONNEL CHANGES IN TURKMENISTAN'S ENERGY SECTOR. ¶B. (SBU) REF B OFFERED HELPFUL LANGUAGE ON YASHIGELDY KAKAYEV'S DEMEANOR AND OUTLOOK - HE "SPOKE GLOWINGLY OF PAST COOPERATION WITH USAID." ¶C. (C) WE WERE BOTH AMUSED AND SOMEWHAT SURPRISED BY THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT BERDIMUHAMEDOV'S HANDLERS REQUESTED AS OUTLINED IN REF C. ¶D. (C) REF D PROVIDED BIOGRAPHIC DATA ON MEMBERS OF BERDIMUHAMEDOV'S FAMILY THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE TURKMEN PRESS. ¶E. (C) REF E INCLUDED USEFUL INFORMATION ON HOW BAYMYRAT HOJAMHAMMEDOV CAME ACROSS DURING THE MEETING - "WELL-VERSED," GENERALLY RELAXED, AND "SOFT-SPOKEN." ¶F. (C) REF F PROVIDED A NICE OVERVIEW OF THE TURKMEN PRESIDENT'S WORLDVIEW. WE FOUND BERDIMUHAMEDOV'S DISMISSIVE COMMENTS ABOUT TURKMEN STUDENTS STUDYING EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PARTICULARLY ILLUMINATING. ¶G. (C) REF G WAS A FASCINATING LOOK AT THE TURKMEN PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL LIFE. ¶H. (C) AS WITH REF D AND REF G, REF H PROVIDED INFORMATION ON THE TURKMEN PRESIDENT'S FAMILY AND OTHER ASPECTS OF HIS PERSONAL LIFE THAT HE HAS TRIED - WITH SUCCESS - TO KEEP OUT OF THE MEDIA. ¶I. (C) REF I INCLUDED A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF MEREDOV'S DEMEANOR - "MEREDOV SEEMED THE MOST RELAXED THAT WE HAD SEEN HIM FOR SEVERAL MONTHS" - AND INSIGHT CONCERNING MEREDOV'S STANDING IN ASHGABAT'S VERY SMALL POLICYMAKING CIRCLE. ¶2. (SBU) THANKS AGAIN. WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SATISFY THE REQUESTS OF U.S. POLICYMAKERS WITHOUT POST'S REPORTING. CLINTON