VZCZCXRO8946
RR RUEHDBU
DE RUEHAH #0313/01 0820920
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 230920Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7118
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000313 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CACEN (PERRY) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/23/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL TX
SUBJECT: DIP CORPS JOINS HANDS, RIDES A LOVE TRAIN TO THE 
MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. . . LITERALLY 
 
Classified By: AMB: TRACEY JACOBSON FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) On March 17, Conoff, along with most of Ashgabat's 
diplomatic corps, traveled by train to the town of Ichoguz, 
halfway between Ashgabat and Dashoguz to participate in the 
inauguration ceremony of the new $2 billion 
Ashgabat-Garagum-Dashoguz rail line.  While the event itself 
was nothing special, the atmospherics of inebriated 
ambassadors at play on a new Chinese railcar did make for 
interesting companionship and provided some insight into some 
of the issues that our fellow diplomats deal with.  While the 
completion of the new rail line will definitely benefit 
Turkmenistan's transportation and transit infrastructure, and 
is another example of growing Chinese commercial influence in 
Turkmenistan, it once again showed the GOTX's ability to 
orchestrate another senseless spectacle without consideration 
for the lives of the participants whose presence at such 
events is obligatory.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------------- 
BACKGROUND ON THE BASHI EXPRESS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The recently completed 550 km 
Ashgabat-Garagum-Dashoguz rail line connects the capital with 
the northern city of Dashoguz.  The new rail line is expected 
to dramatically reduce the time and distance traveled between 
Ashgabat and Dashoguz from 22 hours to 8 hours at a speed of 
roughly 80km an hour (Note: The previous rail line was a 
winding route that took travelers through Uzbekistan while 
this new route is a straight shot through the desert.  It 
currently takes around 10-11 hours to drive from Ashgabat to 
Dashoguz and 55 minutes to fly the same distance - for 60,000 
manat/approx. $2.50 for a roundtrip ticket.  End Note.) 
 
¶3.  (U) Construction on the rail line began in 2000 and cost 
approximately two billion dollars.  The railway line is 
expected to boost cargo transit and trade between Europe, 
Central Asia, and South Asia, according to the official 
press.  The new railway line is part of an overall GOTX 
scheme to overhaul the country's rail system and replace 
aging trains with new modern Chinese-built trains.  The new 
line was built to exclude travel into Uzbekistan via the 
Soviet system and reduce the smuggling of LNG and other 
products.  The GOTX has also reported that the line was built 
to support construction of the controversial Altyn Asyr 
desert lake scheduled for completion in 2020.  The train 
taking the dip corps to the inauguration event was a Chinese 
built copy of the standard Soviet overnight trains (only with 
more plastic in its interior), with amenities similar to the 
second-class "kupe" class, though with smaller, thinner beds 
and "Turkish toilets."  Despite being heralded as a new 
modern train, the brakes were well-worn and rusted. 
 
------------ 
ROAD TRIP!!! 
------------ 
 
¶4.  (C) Ashgabat's diplomatic corps arrived at Ashgabat's 
central train station at around 0650 and were greeted by 
hundreds of school children lining the roads nearby who had 
previously been bussed to the site to meet President Niyazov, 
who would also be traveling on the train.  (Note: Conoff 
approached some of the students and asked how long they had 
been standing there.  The students, clearly shocked that 
someone would talk to them, declined to answer as their 
teacher, also visibly surprised, stood nearby.  End Note.) 
After exchanging pleasantries and jokes about the upcoming 
adventure, the dip corps was unceremoniously escorted to the 
train cabins and placed in their respective cabins.  After 
awaiting the president's arrival, the train departed as 
throngs of students, railway workers, and plainclothes 
security officials waived us off. 
 
¶5.  (C) As the train trundled into the Garagum Desert at a 
breakneck speed of 35 miles per hour, strategically placed 
horse riders, school children, and railway workers, some 
standing nowhere near any particular sign of civilization, 
waived the train on its way north.  Smartly dressed 
waitresses passed through the cabins offering drinks, snacks, 
and badges emblazed with Niyazov's image which we were told 
not to forget to wear.  As the train passed through several 
rural train stations, throngs of students greeted the train 
holding flags, Niyazov portraits and placards extolling the 
Great Leader. 
 
¶6.  (C) After a costly card game involving two bottles of 
 
ASHGABAT 00000313  002 OF 003 
 
 
cognac and an empty Consular officer wallet, Conoff asked 
cabin mate Kazakh Ambassador Murat Atanov his impressions 
about serving in Turkmenistan.  Atanov admitted that working 
with the GOTX was by far the most difficult foreign 
government in his career.  He said that Astana was very 
concerned about the closure of Kazakh language schools in 
Turkmenistan, and noted that most ethnic Kazakhs had 
immigrated to Kazakhstan.  He added that while at first it 
was easy for ethnic-Kazakhs to immigrate back to the 
motherland, specifically to Almaty and Astana, most 
ethnic-Kazakhs now remained in Western Kazakhstan, near the 
Turkmenistani border, since the Kazakhstani government could 
no longer afford to cover resettlement costs in the major 
cities. 
 
¶7.  (C) Conoff informed Ambassador Atanov that the USG was 
very concerned with the GOTX's treatment of all ethnic 
minorities.  Conoff also said that the embassy was actively 
involved in trying to provide educational opportunities to 
Turkmenistani students by facilitating their travel to 
universities in the United States and the American University 
of Central Asia in Bishkek. 
 
¶8.  (C) As the train continued its slow and painful journey 
north, television crews passed through the cabins to film 
smiling ambassadors enjoying their trip.  Several of them, 
including Chinese Ambassador Guicheng Lu, Russian Charge 
Andreiy Krutko, and others gave saccharine praise to Niyazov 
and his latest achievement.  During his interview, Father 
Andrzej Madej of the Apostolic Nunciature praised the GOTX 
for giving the people yet another place to socialize, travel, 
and pray. 
 
------------------------------ 
WE'RE HERE, BUT WHERE IS HERE? 
------------------------------ 
 
¶9.  (C) Five hours after we departed, the train arrived in 
Ichoguz, an isolated hamlet midway between Ashgabat and 
Dashoguz in the middle of the Garagum desert to a throng of 
hundreds of students and villagers, bussed in to greet the 
president/train.  After being ushered into a tent, the dip 
corps waited about half an hour before Niyazov appeared, gave 
a 20 minute speech praising the heroic railway workers for 
building yet another testament to the greatness of the Golden 
Century of Turkmenistan, and handed out prizes to several 
officials (a television, medal, and fifty dollars).  As 
Niyazov was speaking, the assembled crowd began another round 
of orchestrated chanting of praise to Niyazov.  Krutko, 
sitting next to Conoff, suggested that the chanting was for 
Niyazov's alleged body double that he uses for public 
appearances.  After Niyazov's appearance, he briefly 
approached the assembled dip corps, thanked them for coming, 
and joked that after Ambassador Lu's recently published 
interview about China's relations with Turkmenistan, girls 
from all over were calling the GOTX trying to find out Lu's 
phone number.  (Note: A small group of Chinese diplomats 
and/or businessmen accompanied Lu during the trip.  End 
Note.) 
 
¶10.  (C) As Niyazov helicoptered away, condemning the dip 
corps to another five hour train ride without the Great 
Leader, the dip corps was escorted to a lunch with vodka and 
pleasantries flowing at equal speed.  Among some of the more 
interesting toasts was a toast by Ambassador Lu praising 
developing Chinese-Turkmenistani relations in the 
transportation sphere, with Krutko adding "And not just in 
transportation."  A somewhat inebriated Uzbek Ambassador 
Alisher Kadyrov, while attempted to refill his colleagues' 
shot glasses, praised the rail line's construction as a vital 
addition to Turkmenistan's development to a very sober 
Foreign Minister Meredov.  As the dip corps made its way back 
to the train, British Ambassador Peter Butcher, Georgian 
Ambassador Alexei Petriashvili, and Romanian Charge Silviu 
Domian exchanged gossip about the latest "gift" prominent 
Turkish businessman Ahmet Calik (who was also in attendance) 
gave to Niyazov-an armored car rumored to be worth one 
million dollars.  (Note: Conoff saw what appeared to be a new 
car covered under a tarp and sitting on a nearby truck.  End 
Note.)  Throughout the entire stop in Ichoguz, the bussed in 
masses performed a non-stop concert of singing and dancing, 
with no spectators in sight.  Conoff managed to briefly speak 
to some of the performers/audience who told him that they had 
been bussed to the station four hours before the train's 
arrival. 
 
----------------------------------- 
FINDING SAFE HAVEN AMONG OUR ALLIES 
----------------------------------- 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00000313  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶11.  (C) With the president gone, their official demands 
completed, and the train returning back to Ashgabat (again at 
an agonizing 35 miles per hour), most of the dip corps 
retired to their respective cabins for libations and 
merriment.  Conoff successfully found a safe haven with the 
Romanian Charge Domian (who was very eager to get off the 
train) and Father Madej who shared his thoughts about his 10 
years spent in Turkmenistan.  According to Father Madej, he 
has seen a continuous degradation in the overall situation in 
Turkmenistan, noting that the people here by and large are 
more and more frustrated with daily life.  Despite the 
hardships, Madej said that he hoped to continue working in 
Turkmenistan "as a priest not as a politician" until he -- 
Madej -- died. 
 
¶12.  (C) Georgian Ambassador Petriashvili joined Conoff's 
group.  Noting the upcoming presidential elections in 
Belarus, Conoff asked Ambassador Petriashvili his views about 
the recent deportation of Georgian MPs from Belarus and about 
popular Georgian singer Valeriy Meladze performing in 
concerts supporting President Lukashenko.  Petriashvili was 
angry with the MPs deportation and scoffed at the Lukashenko 
regime's "excuse" that the MP's were there to instigate 
revolution and civil unrest.  He referred to Meladze as a 
"pig-bastard" who sold out to Lukashenko for money.  He 
reassured Conoff that "America can count on its Georgian 
friends."  Finally, after almost 12 hours on the rails, the 
weary dip corps arrived back in Ashgabat to waiting families, 
colleagues, and a much needed Marine House St. Patrick's Day 
party. 
 
---------------------------------- 
COMMENT: "IT'S GOOD TO BE DA KING" 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  (C) The inauguration of the Ashgabat-Garagum-Dashoguz 
railway line represents several things.  The completion of a 
north-south line entirely within Turkmenistan's borders is a 
vital transportation line that will significantly contribute 
to developing the infrastructure of the vast, desolate, and 
under developed Garagum desert, while cutting down on the 
transportation time and the cost of moving goods and people 
from north to south.  The inauguration also underlined 
China's increasing presence in Turkmenistan's infrastructure, 
moving from gas exploitation, to improving Turkmenistan's 
telephone and railway systems. 
 
¶14.  (C) Most vividly however, is that the inauguration 
celebration once again showed the GOTX's ability to draw a 
crowd to reinforce the Potemkin village image that everyone 
flocks to celebrate the latest achievement in the Golden 
Century of the Turkmen People.  Although the diplomatic 
corps' presence is not overtly obligatory (unless you don't 
want any diplomatic requests answered for a couple of weeks), 
the penalty for absenteeism amongst Turkmenistani citizens is 
unquestionably more severe.  Mel Brooks said it best: "It's 
good to be da king."  END COMMENT. 
 
JACOBSON 
JACOBSON