VZCZCXRO0217
RR RUEHAST
DE RUEHAH #0532/01 1390340
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 190340Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7341
INFO RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KIEV 0468
RUCNOSC/OSCE POST COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL//CCJ2/HSE/CCJ5//
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5/RUE//
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000532 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD EPET UP TX
SUBJECT:  UKRAINE'S INTERBUDMONTAZH OPERATIONS IN 
TURKMENISTAN 
 
REF: A) ASHGABAT 389   B) ASHGABAT 308 
 
ASHGABAT 00000532  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) GENERAL DIRECTOR OF UKRAINIAN COMPANY 
INTERBUDMONTAZH VADIM SULIM TOLD POL/ECON OFF ON MAY 11 THAT 
THE COMPANY HAD NO PART IN THE TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE BARTER 
FOR GAS AGREEMENTS AND WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE OIL AND GAS 
SECTOR, DESPITE MULTIPLE PRESS REPORTS TO THE CONTRARY. 
INTERBUDMONTAZH, THE LARGEST UKRAINIAN COMPANY OPERATING IN 
TURKMENISTAN, IS BUILDING A 32 KILOMETER UNDERGROUND 
DRAINAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM IN ASHGABAT UNDER 
CONTRACT WITH THE ASHGABAT MAYOR'S OFFICE.  THE COMPANY HAS 
4,000 EMPLOYEES IN TURKMENISTAN, 70% OF WHOM ARE LOCAL. 
FEATURING A WELL CONNECTED FOUNDER AND FORMER CHAIRMAN, AND 
APPARENT ACCESS TO BOTH PRESIDENTS NIYAZOV AND YUSHCHENKO, 
SULIM'S ROSY PICTURE OF INTERBUDMONTAZH'S WORK IN ASHGABAT 
PROBABLY IS NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE AND THE COMPANY'S LACK OF 
FORTHRIGHTNESS SUGGESTS TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE BARTER-FOR-GAS 
DEBT, DESPITE GOTX AND GOU PRONOUNCEMENTS, IS STILL FAR FROM 
TRANSPARENT.  END SUMMARY. 
 
COMPANY HISTORY 
--------------- 
¶2. (SBU) GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE PRIVATE UKRAINIAN COMPANY 
INTERBUDMONTAZH VADIM SULIM DETAILED ON MAY 11 TO 
POL/ECONOFF THE SPECIALIZED CONSTRUCTION COMPANY'S 
ACTIVITIES IN TURKMENISTAN.  THE COMPANY WAS CREATED IN 2000 
AS THE INTERNATIONAL ARM OF A HOLDING COMPANY OF THE SAME 
NAME EXPRESSLY TO ENGAGE IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN 
TURKMENISTAN.  THE HOLDING COMPANY ITSELF GREW OUT OF KIEV- 
BASED CONSTRUCTION COMPANY KYIVBUDINVEST, WHICH WAS FOUNDED 
IN 1993.  IN ADDITION TO KYIVBUDINVEST AND INTERBUDMONTAZH, 
THE HOLDING COMPANY CONSISTS OF UKRSPETSTUNNELPROEKT, 
INTERTRANSBUD, INTERBUDTUNNEL, AND POLTAVANAFTOGAZBUD. 
ACCORDING TO COMPANY PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL RECEIVED FROM 
SULIM, 68% OF THE HOLDING COMPANY'S ACTIVITIES OCCUR OUTSIDE 
OF UKRAINE. 
 
OPERATIONS IN TURKMENISTAN 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) SULIM STATED THAT INTERBUDMONTAZH'S PRIMARY PROJECT 
IN TURKMENISTAN WAS THE DRAINAGE AND COMMUNICATIONS TUNNEL 
PROJECT, A PLANNED TEN YEAR PROJECT TO CONSTRUCT AN 
UNDERGROUND TUNNEL RING AROUND ASHGABAT WITH CONNECTING 
BRANCHES TO CARRY CITY DRAINAGE, SEWAGE, AND COMMUNICATIONS. 
AWARDED IN 2000, THE PROJECT BEGAN IN 2002 AND IS RUNNING ON 
SCHEDULE, ACCORDING TO SULIM.  ASHGABAT'S UNIQUE SEISMOLOGY 
AND GROUND WATER TABLE MAKES THIS PROJECT UNIQUE, HE ADDED. 
ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT PART OF THE 2000 PROJECT TENDER PROCESS, 
SULIM CLAIMED INTERBUDMONTAZH WON HANDILY AGAINST COMPETING 
COMPANIES FROM GERMANY AND FRANCE.  HE BOASTED THAT IN 
ADDITION TO INTERBUDMONTAZH ONLY TWO OTHER COMPANIES IN THE 
WORLD - IN CHINA AND INDIA - HAD THE TECHNICAL KNOW-HOW TO 
ACCOMPLISH THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.  SULIM DECLINED TO COMMENT 
ON THE OVERALL COST OF THE PROJECT, THOUGH A JUNE 2005 
ARTICLE ON THE PRO-GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TURKMENISTANINFO.RU 
VALUED THE PROJECT AT $204 MILLION. 
 
¶4. (SBU) IN ADDITION TO THE TUNNEL RING PROJECT, 
INTERBUDMONTAZH DID ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS "AT 
THE REQUEST OF THE TURKMEN SIDE."  THE COMPANY BUILT FOUR 
UNDERGROUND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS FOR ASHGABAT'S MIND- 
NUMBINGLY WIDE EIGHT-LANE AVENUES, AND CONSTRUCTED WATER 
RESERVOIRS FOR SURROUNDING VILLAGES AND A PLANNED TURKMEN- 
FAIRYTALE WATER THEME PARK.  CORPORATE MATERIALS SUPPLIED BY 
SULIM ALSO NOTED AS PART OF THE COMPANY'S CONSTRUCTION 
PORTFOLIO THIRTY COTTAGES NEAR THE PRESIDENTIAL RESIDENCE 
AND A WATER-DIVERSION CANAL FOR THE WATER THEME PARK, WHICH 
IS BEING BUILT WITH TWO TURKISH COMPANIES.  (NOTE.  SULIM 
PROVIDED NO INFORMATION ON THESE LATTER TWO PROJECTS DURING 
THE MEETING.  END NOTE.)  SULIM SAID INTERBUDMONTAZH, AS A 
CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SPECIALIZED IN TUNNELING AND WATER 
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, WAS NOT INTERESTED IN BUILDING THE 
SCORES OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS GOING UP IN ASHGABAT (REPORTED 
REFTEL A). 
 
¶5. (SBU) INTERBUDMONTAZH ALSO SUBMITTED A PROPOSAL IN 2005 
 
ASHGABAT 00000532  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
TO PRESIDENT NIZAYOV FOR A MULTI-LINE CITY METRO PROJECT. 
THE GOTX IS STILL REVIEWING THE PROPOSAL AND NEGOTIATING THE 
PROJECT'S COST, ACCORDING TO SULIM. 
 
LABOR AND MATERIAL SOURCING 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) SULIM NOTED THAT 70% OF THE COMPANY'S 4,000 
EMPLOYEES WERE LOCAL, WITH THE REMAINDER COMING FROM 
UKRAINE.  THE RATIO OF LOCAL TO FOREIGN LABOR WAS SET IN THE 
COMPANY'S CONTRACT WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, SULIM ADDED. 
(NOTE:  MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MEREDOV HAS TOLD EMBASSY 
THAT BY LAW ALL FOREIGN COMPANIES OPERATING IN TURKMENISTAN 
MUST HAVE AT LEAST 70% LOCAL LABOR. END NOTE.) 
INTERBUDMONTAZH HIRED LOCAL LABOR AND THEN TAUGHT THEM, AT 
COMPANY EXPENSE, THE TRADE SKILLS NEEDED FOR THE PROJECT AT 
THE COMPANY'S IN-HOUSE TRADE SCHOOL. 
 
¶7. (SBU) INTERBUDMONTAZH IMPORTED CEMENT FOR ITS PROJECTS 
FROM TEHRAN UNTIL MARCH 2005, BECAUSE LOCAL OFFERINGS DID 
NOT MATCH THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR ASHGABAT'S 
SEISMIC ZONE (THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL IS ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND 
AN EARTHQUAKE OF 9.0 ON THE RICHTER SCALE).  IN MARCH 2005, 
TURKMENISTAN OPENED THE STATE-OWNED KELETE TURKMEN CEMENT 
FACTORY AND INTERBUDMONTAZH SINCE THEN HAS SOURCED ITS 
CEMENT FROM THERE.  THE COMPANY'S CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE FLEET 
IS COMPRISED OF GERMAN, ITALIAN, AND SWISS-MADE EQUIPMENT. 
THE COMPANY IMPORTS PIPE AND METAL PRODUCTS FROM UKRAINE. 
INTERPIPE AND MITTAL STEEL (FORMERLY KRYVORIZSTAHL) ARE THE 
COMPANY'S TWO LARGEST UKRAINIAN SUPPLIERS, SULIM NOTED, WITH 
THE IMPORTS ARRIVING VIA TURKMENBASHY ON THE CASPIAN SEA. 
SULIM REPORTED NO PROBLEMS WITH CUSTOMS BEYOND THE 
OCCASIONAL HEADACHES, WHICH WERE RESOLVED IN "A NORMAL 
WORKING MANNER." 
 
RELATIONS WITH GOTX 
------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) SULIM SAID INTERBUDMONTAZH WAS FAR REMOVED FROM ANY 
TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE POLITICAL DISPUTES AND PAINTED A ROSY 
PICTURE OF INTERBUDMONTAZH-GOTX RELATIONS.  THE COMPANY 
OPERATED UNDER A CONTRACT WITH THE ASHGABAT MAYOR'S OFFICE 
AND ALSO WORKED WITH THE MINISTRY OF CONSTRUCTION. 
INTERBUDMONTAZH DISCUSSED ANY PROBLEMS DIRECTLY WITH MAYOR 
ORAZMYRAT ESENOV, WHO HIMSELF WAS A FORMER CONSTRUCTION 
MANAGER, WHICH MADE REACHING AGREEMENTS MUCH EASIER (NOTE: 
ON MAY 12, ESENOV WAS APPOINTED MINISTER OF CONSTRUCTION, 
WHILE RETAINING HIS MAYORAL APPOINTMENT.  FOR MORE ON 
ORAZMYRAT "THE BULLDOZER" ESENOV, SEE REFTEL B AND SEPTEL. 
END NOTE.)  THE MAYOR'S OFFICE MADE REGULAR PAYMENTS IN 
DOLLARS TO INTERBUDMONTAZH ACCOUNTS AT A LOCAL (UNNAMED) 
BANK.  SULIM SAID THE COMPANY CONVERTED DOLLARS TO MANATS AT 
THE OFFICIAL EXCHANGE RATE OF 5,200 MANAT TO THE DOLLAR. 
SULIM EXPRESSED SOME FRUSTRATION AT THIS ARRANGEMENT (NOTE. 
THE UNOFFICIAL RATE, FREQUENTLY CALLED THE COMMERCIAL RATE, 
IS 23,400 MANAT TO THE DOLLAR.  CURRENCY CONVERSATION IS A 
SORE POINT WITH MOST FOREIGN COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS IN 
TURKMENISTAN.  END NOTE.), BUT INNOCENTLY RAISED HIS HANDS 
IN AN EXPRESSION OF "WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?". 
 
NO RELATION TO TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE GAS BARTER DEALS? 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) WHEN PRESSED ON INTERBUDMONTAZH'S RELATION TO THE 
ONGOING TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE 2005 BARTER-FOR-GAS DEBT 
DISPUTE, SILUM CATEGORICALLY DENIED INTERBUDMONTAZH'S 
INVOLVEMENT IN EITHER THE DEBT DISPUTE OR THE TURKMENISTAN 
OIL AND GAS SECTOR IN GENERAL.  SILUM SAID THE COMPANY WAS 
NOT INVOLVED WITH THE CLEARINGHOUSE FOR GAS BARTER PAYMENTS, 
WITH ANY COEFFICIENT CONTRACTS NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE 
GOVERNMENTS, OR WITH ANY PURCHASE-AND-SALE AGREEMENTS. 
 
¶10. (SBU) DESPITE SULIM'S CLAIMS OF APOLITICAL NON- 
INVOLVEMENT, A MAY 4, 2005 ARTICLE IN THE GOVERNMENT-OWNED 
NEWSPAPER NEUTRALNYI TURKMENISTAN LISTED INTERBUDMONTAZH 
CHAIRMAN O. CHYZHOV AS PART OF A UKRAINIAN DELEGATION TO 
TURKMENISTAN THAT ALSO INCLUDED THEN-CHAIRMAN OF UKRAINE'S 
STATE OIL AND GAS MONOPOLY NAFTOHAZ OLEKSIY IVCHENKO AND 
DEPUTY GENERAL DIRECTOR OF UKRAINE'S STATE DEFENSE INDUSTRY 
COMPANY UKROBORONSERVIS.  ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, THE 
 
ASHGABAT 00000532  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
GROUP MET WITH PRESIDENT NIYAZOV TO DISCUSS BILATERAL 
COOPERATION UNDER THE NEW GAS-FOR-CASH ARRANGEMENTS AGREED 
TO BY PRESIDENTS YUSCHENKO AND NIYAZOV IN MARCH 2005.  A 
JUNE 2005 ARTICLE ON THE PRO-GOVERNMENT WEBSITE 
TURKMENISTANINFO.RU ALSO LISTED THE COMMUNICATION AND 
DRAINAGE TUNNEL PROJECT AS ONE OF THE TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE 
BARTER-FOR-GAS PROJECTS. 
 
¶11. (SBU) INTERBUDMONTAZH APPEARS TO ENJOY SOME LEVEL OF 
UKRAINIAN POLITICAL PATRONAGE.  FEATURED PROMINENTLY IN THE 
HOLDING COMPANY'S INFORMATION BROCHURE IS AN UNDATED PHOTO 
OF UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO MEETING INTERBUDMONTAZH 
WORKERS IN, APPARENTLY, ASHGABAT.  IN THE PHOTO NEXT TO 
YUSHCHENKO ARE THEN-CHAIRMAN OF NAFTOHAZ OLEKSIY IVCHENKO, 
THEN-UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR TO TURKMENISTAN VADYM CHUPRUN, AND 
FORMER CHAIRMAN OF INTERBUDMONTAZH VLADIMIR PETRUK.  PETRUK 
HAS BEEN NAFTOHAZ DEPUTY CHAIRMAN FOR INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS 
SINCE MARCH 2005.  (NOTE.  NONE OF THE PERSONS LISTED ABOVE 
ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE ENGLISH-LANGUAGE BROCHURE. END NOTE.) 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) INTERBUDMONTAZH GENERAL DIRECTOR SULIM'S LEVEL OF 
SECRECY CONTRASTED GREATLY WITH THAT OF TURKISH CONSTRUCTION 
MANAGERS SIMILARLY ENGAGED IN ASHGABAT'S BUILDING BOOM, AND 
SEVERAL OF HIS STATEMENTS DIDN'T CORRESPOND WITH WIDELY 
PUBLICIZED REPORTS OF INTERBUDMONTAZH'S INVOLVEMENT IN 
BARTER-FOR-GAS DEALS.  SULIM'S HESITANCY TO COME CLEAN ON 
PARTS OF HIS COMPANY'S ACTIVITY IN TURKMENISTAN SUGGESTS 
THAT TURKMENISTAN-UKRAINE GAS DEBT ARRANGEMENTS REMAIN FAR 
FROM TRANSPARENT.  END COMMENT. 
 
BRUSH