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FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
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INFO ALNED/ALNED COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000567 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA (PERRY), EUR/ACE (ADAMS) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/2016 
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PREL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S GOOD AND BAD COPS MEET STATE'S 
ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00000567  001.7 OF 004 
 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. Brush, for reasons 1.4 (b) 
 and (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  (C) On May 19, EUR/ACE Coordinator Tom Adams, USAID 
Regional Coordinator Christopher Crowley, EUR/ACE Central 
Asian Desk Officer John McKane (who were in Ashgabat to 
participate in post's recent assistance review - ICAR), and 
Charg Brush met with Foreign Minister Rashit Meredov and 
Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of Health) Gurbanguly 
Berdimuhammedov, and Education Minister Shemshat Annagylyjova 
to discuss USG assistance programs in Turkmenistan.  While 
thanking Meredov and Berdimuhammedov for their cooperation in 
facilitating USG assistance in Turkmenistan, EUR/ACE 
Coordinator Adams reiterated USG concerns with GOTX 
interference with USG assistance programs and the continued 
overall decline in the socio-economic situation in 
Turkmenistan.  While Meredov and Berdimuhammedov offered to 
streamline communication between the Ministry of Education 
with post and sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to 
formally recognize USAID,s regional HIV/AIDS program 
(CAPACITY) in Turkmenistan, Meredov (more diplomatically) and 
Berdimuhammedov (more colorfully) repeated the usual mantra 
that USG assistance is welcome, albeit on GOTX terms.  End 
Summary. 
 
-------------------- 
GOOD COP: FM MEREDOV 
-------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) EUR/ACE Coordinator Adams, joined by Charge and 
EUR/ACE Central Asia Desk Officer John McKane, informed FM 
Meredov that he and his staff had come to Turkmenistan to 
learn about how USG assistance programs are benefiting 
Turkmenistan, and to gauge the possibilities of improving 
assistance programs here in the future.  While post advocated 
increasing the amount of USG assistance from its currently 
levels of 5.5 million USD (the lowest amount received in 
Europe/Eurasia), Adams said there was a widespread perception 
in Washington that the GOTX neither supported nor appreciated 
USG assistance.  Although high level GOTX interlocutors say 
that the GOTX welcomes assistance, lower level bureaucrats 
oppose our efforts.  In addition, Adams said, the USG was 
very concerned about decreasing economic, social and health 
conditions in Turkmenistan.  He presented Meredov with the 
findings of EUR/ACE's 2005 Economic and Democratic Reform 
report that showed Turkmenistan falling far behind its 
neighbors in health, education, computerization, and 
democratization.  These trends led to increased concern about 
the future of Turkmenistan.  One area of particular concern 
was the level of drug demand in Turkmenistan, which as in 
other Central Asian countries was particularly high. 
Coordinator Adams queried Meredov about his interest in 
cooperating to establish a USAID program to address drug 
demand. 
 
¶3.  (C) Meredov thanked Coordinator Adams for coming, saying 
that it was very important for visitors from Washington to 
come to Turkmenistan and learn about the country in person. 
Meredov said that the GOTX was already experienced in 
combating drugs.  Charge interjected that while the GOTX had 
provided information about seizure statistics, it has done 
nothing to address drug demand reduction in Turkmenistan. 
Meredov agreed and offered to return to the issue at a later 
date. 
 
¶4.  (C) Meredov replied that the GOTX placed high importance 
on USG assistance programs.  He cited for example the 29 
USAID programs that were active in Turkmenistan in 2006, 
noting that this number represented an increase in USAID 
programs that were active in 2005 (25).  He said that the 
issue was not so much the number of programs, but their 
activities and their positive impact on society.  Meredov 
noted USAID's programs to improve health, ecology, education, 
adding that the GOTX and USAID were now discussing expanding 
USAID's economics assistance programs.  Meredov dismissed 
EUR/ACE's findings as inaccurate, explaining that the GOTX 
heavily invested in time, money and manpower to improve these 
sectors.  Thanks to the Great Leader's policies, he said, 
Turkmenistan was well ahead of its neighbors in terms of 
economic and social development.  Meredov added that the MFA 
was always ready and willing to facilitate communication 
between the embassy and relevant GOTX ministries, noting that 
in terms of security issues, the embassy was able to 
communicate directly with relevant bodies rather than going 
through the MFA.  (Comment:  Not true, DAO, NVNG, EXBS, and 
 
ASHGABAT 00000567  002 OF 004 
 
 
INL conduct all of their business through diplomatic notes. 
End Comment.) 
 
¶5.  (C) Coordinator Adams said that closer and direct contact 
between post and individual GOTX ministries would benefit 
both post and the GOTX since it would significantly reduce 
the amount of red tape and save valuable time.  He hoped in 
particular that post would be able to work closer with the 
Ministry of Education in order to resolve many ongoing 
issues.  He noted that the Ministry of Education-U.S. Embassy 
working group had yet to identify two schools for the PEAKS 
program, and was prevented from actively working due to the 
fact that it is impossible for the group to meet without 
getting prior MFA approval.  Coordinator Adams also raised 
USG concern with the GOTX closure of two regional IATP 
centers.  Meredov said that the working group was intended to 
do just that, to serve as a direct means for the Ministry of 
Education and post to contact one another and promised Charge 
and Coordinator Adams that from now on post could contact the 
Ministry of Education directly regarding all future working 
group matters without sending a diplomatic note.  Meredov 
also promised to look into the IATP center closures. 
(Comment:  We'll try for direct contact with MOE but are 
skeptical, Charge has been asking repeatedly about IATP 
Centers since the Adams visit, with no response, and in the 
meantime local authorities are requesting that the American 
Corner in Turkmenbashy close.  End Comment.) 
 
¶6.  (C) Returning to the EUR/ACE findings, Coordinator Adams 
attributed Turkmenistan's inability to improve society to the 
GOTX's refusal to permit civil society participation in 
developing Turkmenistan.  He urged Meredov to help increase 
the number of registered NGOs in a more time efficient 
manner, including Project Hope, whose registration was 
imperative should Turkmenistan wish to benefit from the 
Global Fund.  Meredov said that the GOTX sought to involve 
NGOs in developing society, albeit those (read Governmental 
NGOs or GONGOS) that are already registered with the Ministry 
of Justice. 
 
---------------------------------- 
BAD COP: DEPUTY PM BERDIMUHAMMEDOV 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) In response to Adams, introduction, Berdimuhammedov 
suggested that GOTX-USG cooperation in health and education 
sectors should receive the &highest grades.8 However, he 
noted that there were several questions currently under 
discussion that needed to be resolved before the Ministry of 
Education could decide whether USAID,s PEAKS program was 
appropriate for Turkmenistan (Note: this issue has been 
&under discussion8 in various forums since it was launched 
in other Central Asian countries in 2003.  End note.) Turning 
to health, he noted that all health programs were going well, 
and specifically referred to joint successes in combating 
tuberculosis, equipping blood transfusion stations, and 
training of health care workers in family medicine. 
 
¶8.  (U) Berdimuhammedov confirmed that the GOTX intended to 
submit applications to the Global Fund by the August 3 
deadline. (Note: Last year, the GOTX failed to submit any 
applications due to an inability to make necessary political 
revisions by the deadline.  End note.)  He acknowledged, but 
did not commit, the GOTX to approving current USAID 
implementing partner Project HOPE as the Principal Recipient 
in the event of a successful Global Fund application. 
 
¶9.  (U) In response to Adams, question regarding a possible 
date for signing an MOU to launch USAID,s HIV/AIDS project 
(CAPACITY) in Turkmenistan, Berdimuhammedov declared that the 
GOTX was &ready8 to sign, but that it must follow protocol 
and be submitted via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). 
(Note: The MOU was subsequently submitted on May 22, 2006. 
End note.) 
 
 ¶10.  (U) Returning to the question of USAID,s PEAKS 
project, Adams expressed disappointment that the April 28 
meeting of the joint GOTX-USG Education Working Group failed 
to identify the two schools for it to begin working in, per 
his request in a January 31 meeting with USAID Regional 
Coordinator Crowley. Backtracking significantly, 
Berdimuhammedov advised that "education is not healthcare,8 
and that there remained several outstanding issues.  He also 
suggested that future discussions between USAID and MOE be 
held informally, without going through the MFA, as has been 
standard practice.  Ominously, he emphatically stated that 
the last word on determining whether this program is 
appropriate for Turkmenistan lay with the Minister of 
Education. (Note: The Minister of Education - the third in as 
 
ASHGABAT 00000567  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
many years - is a weak figure, though present during the 
meeting, she contributed nothing.  End note.) 
 
¶11.  (U) After acknowledging recent steps taken to combat 
Avian Influenza (AI), Adams encouraged Berdimuhammedov to 
take further actions to raise public awareness and asked how 
potential supplemental funds for education might best be 
applied.  Berdimuhammedov asked for technical specialists on 
public awareness, and advised that the GOTX would organize 
relevant seminars.  Additionally, Berdimuhammedov asked for 
laboratory equipment for proposed welayat (province) level 
laboratories.  Recognizing the CDC Regional Coordinator was 
currently in Turkmenistan, Adams agreed that specific options 
would be discussed following his visit. 
 
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INFLEXIBLE ON FLEX 
------------------ 
 
¶12.  (U) Thanking Berdimuhammedov for MOE support on the 
upcoming embassy-sponsored International Teachers of English 
Conference (ITEC), Adams shifted to the problem related to 
the number of students allowed to participate in the USG FLEX 
high-school exchange program.  This year, the USG could fund 
65 students, up from last year,s 50 participants. 
Berdimuhammedov quickly objected to the increase, which he 
claimed was based on an agreement that permitted up to 50 
students per year.  He insisted that no more than 50 
participants would be allowed this year unless the candidates 
were approved by the Ministry of Education for their "purity 
of Turkmen mentality."  Adams explained that the funding 
guidelines established by the U.S. Congress mandated an 
independent selection process, and reserved final authority 
for the committee, rather than host country bodies. 
Berdimuhammedov was adamant that the MOE should approve the 
students and in response to Charge's objection that this 
violated the congressional funding regulations and threatened 
the very existence of the program at all, just shrugged. 
 
¶13.  (C) To Adams, entreaties that the number of 
participants be increased, Berdimuhammedov allowed this was 
possible, although a separate issue, but insisted ) for a 
third time ) that the MOE must approve candidates.  Asked 
why, he responded that the MOE has reasons, &some of which 
we don,t want to say8 but said &some have had parents put 
in prison8 (Note: Post is not aware of such candidates. End 
note.).  As a potential compromise, Berdimuhammedov proposed 
that the current group of 50 &approved8 students be allowed 
to travel and offered to re-advertise for the 15 additional 
slots.   In closing the issue, he stated that if the USG 
would not re-announce competition for the extra 15 slots, 
only 50 students will participate this year.  Charge said she 
was unaware of the existence of any written agreement setting 
the limit at 50 and said the embassy would search its files. 
(Comment:  This FLEX kabuki takes place every year. 
Nothing/rpt/nothing is in writing regarding limits, 
Berdimuhammed outright lied.  Embassy intends to proceed with 
the recruitment and send the 65 finalists.  As it has in the 
past, we expect GOTX to blink at the last minute and allow 
the students to travel.  End Comment.) 
 
¶14.  (U) Highlighting that Turkmenistan has the lowest 
internet penetration in Central Asia, Adams said the USG was 
helping Turkmenistan to redress this shortcoming via its 
Internet Access and Training Program (IATP).  Thus, he 
expressed disappointment at the recent closure of centers in 
Dashoguz and Balkanabad cities.  Berdimuhammedov professed no 
knowledge of the reported closures, but suggested that it was 
due to a misunderstanding since the GOTX supported the 
internet centers and had its own program to get Turkmenistan 
on-line. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶15.  (C) Embassy was pleased to provide the EUR/ACE office 
the opportunity to witness first hand our challenges in doing 
business in Turkmenistan.  In addition to the above two 
official meetings, EUR/ACE visited a number of recipients of 
U.S. assistance and saw the positive impact on society and 
attitudes toward the United States that this assistance 
provides. 
 
¶16.  (C) EUR/ACE visitors were able to witness both Meredov 
smarmily glossing over any differences, even resorting to 
mendacity to cover up the real lack of GOTX cooperation; as 
well as Berdimuhammedov displaying open hostility to U.S. 
programs, in particular FLEX, and demonstrating GOTX resolve 
 
ASHGABAT 00000567  004 OF 004 
 
 
to obstruct whenever and wherever possible.  End Comment. 
BRUSH