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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA (PERRY), SA DAS (GASTRIGHT) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2016 
TAGS: PREL UNUNSC ECON ENGR ETRD PARM IR TX
SUBJECT: THE JULY 24-25 STATE VISIT OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT 
AHMADINEJAD TO TURKMENISTAN:  BIG BROTHER DOMINATES 
 
REF: A. DUSHANBE 1423 
     ¶B. ASHGABAT 0787 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer L. Brush, for reasons 1.4 (b) 
 and (d) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) Iranian President Ahmadinejad was clearly in control, 
with President Niyazov playing only a secondary role, during 
the Iranian President,s July 24-25 state visit to 
Turkmenistan.  Notwithstanding the local state media's 
assertions that the visit centered on developing economic 
links -- the two leaders signed five minor agreements and a 
joint communique -- the visit clearly was an awkward 
getting-to-know-you event for both prickly leaders.  Although 
President Niyazov seemed uncharacteristically eager to please 
his guest, even yielding to the latter's wishes not to morph 
the visit into another cult-of-personality spectacle, it is 
clear from the security-focused joint communique that Niyazov 
drew a line at compromising Turkmenistan,s position of 
&neutrality.8  Per ref a, banning discussing of Iran's 
nuclear program apparently was a prerequisite for 
Ahmadinejad's visit, which was at Niyazov's invitation.  End 
summary. 
 
Second Iranian State Visit to Independent Turkmenistan 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Accompanied by his Ministers of Foreign Affairs, 
Energy, Commerce, Oil, and Roads and Transportation, 
President Ahmadinejad of Iran made his first state visit to 
Turkmenistan on July 24-25.  This is the second-ever state 
visit since Turkmenistan's independence.  Former Iranian 
President Rafsanjani visited in the early nineties.  Amid 
very heavy security, President Ahmadinejad met multiple times 
with Turkmenistan,s President, Saparmurat Niyazov, made the 
obligatory visit to the national mosque where President 
Niyazov,s parents and brothers are buried, made a rare 
speech before the Mejlis (Turkmenistan,s Parliament), and 
attended the formal opening of a new border crossing station. 
 In a departure from usual practice here, however, local 
diplomats were not invited to any of these events, including 
to the July 25 state banquet -- at the request of the Iranian 
president (according to the usually well-informed Turkish 
ambassador).  Media coverage of the visit was front-page, 
glowing and extensive. 
 
Niyazov Restrained 
------------------ 
 
¶3.  (C) Belying the glowing press spin, however, President 
Niyazov was uncharacteristically and visibly restrained, 
giving the impression to many that he was treading carefully 
in order to avoid offending his guest.  Twice during 
televised exchanges with President Ahmadinejad, President 
Niyazov -- who is well-known for his frequently undiplomatic 
treatment of top-level visitors -- failed to respond to 
challenges, including one particularly insulting comment, 
from his Iranian visitor.  In a (dopey) attempt to sound 
positive, Niyazov said that if the two met a few more times, 
they would be able to speak each other's languages.  In 
response Ahmadinejad noted it would take Niyazov twice as 
long to learn Farsi as it would take him to learn Turkmen. 
Niyazov also allowed President Ahmadinejad to take control of 
a joint press conference, while he drew back and made only 
occasional statements.  Going down a receiving line of the 
diplomatic corps before the formal pass-in-review in 
Ahmadinejad's honor, briefly stopping in front of 
representatives from the British, French and OSCE missions, 
Niyazov said: 
 
-- &He8 (Ahmadinejad) had not criticized either Israel or 
Lebanon (not true; see para 7 below); 
 
-- The primary focus of the visit had been economic; and 
 
-- There had been discussion of Caspian Sea borders, but no 
agreement had been reached. 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00000804  002 OF 004 
 
 
The Results:  Less Than Might Be Expected 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) During the visit, the two sides signed seven 
bilateral documents: 
 
-- a declaration regarding the opening of the new border 
crossing at Howdan-Bajgiran; 
 
-- a memorandum on cooperation in the areas of security and 
border issues; 
 
-- a program for tourism cooperation (Comment:  Local hotel 
workers tell us Iranian tourism mostly consists of Iranians 
in search of alcohol and hookers.  End comment.); 
 
-- an agreement on bilateral cooperation on livestock and 
veterinary sanitation; 
 
-- a memorandum of cooperation on energy in which 
Turkemenistan agreed to increase delivery of electrical power 
to Iran; 
 
-- a joint letter from Presidents Niyazov and Ahmadinejad to 
President Karzai of Afghanistan; and 
 
-- a joint communique. 
 
The two sides also agreed to set up a joint committee to work 
on issues related to gas sales, but did not reach agreement 
on new gas prices or increased gas deliveries to Iran. 
(Note:  In March, Turkmenistan turned off gas deliveries to 
Iran until Iran raised the price from $42 to $65/tcm and also 
agreed to buy 14 bcm annually vice 8-10 bcm.  Turkmenistan 
sends gas to Iran from the Korpeje gas field via the 
Korpeje/Kurt Kui pipeline.  End note.)  Only the joint 
communique and -- potentially -- the joint letter to 
President Karzai (embassy has not seen a text) are 
substantively significant; the remaining documents appear 
largely to be window-dressing for an otherwise very tough 
visit. 
 
Joint Communique:  An Iranian Document in Turkmen Words? 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) During the press conference, President Niyazov 
uncharacteristically indicated that he and President 
Ahmadinejad had some very difficult negotiations, with 
neither side wanting to back down.  Of the documents that 
were signed, however, only the joint communique reflects this 
tension.  Although nothing in the document conflicts with 
positions laid out by the Government of Turkmenistan, the 
content appears to have been based on an Iranian draft, with 
some language subsequently softened and made more &neutral8 
by the Turkmenistan side. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In this regard, the document,s treatment of 
security issues is particularly notable.  Specifically, the 
communique: 
 
-- Stresses the efforts of both countries to strengthen peace 
and stability and to establish a climate of trust and mutual 
benefit in regional and international affairs; 
 
-- Notes the need to resolve international questions only 
through peaceful and diplomatic means. 
 
-- Expresses Turkmenistan,s support for the &active and 
positive role8 of Iran and the orientation of Iran,s 
domestic policies in resolving international questions 
directed toward strengthening &peace, stability and 
tranquility,8 and reaffirms Iran,s support for 
Turkmenistan,s neutrality. 
 
-- States that both presidents attach special significance to 
the strengthening of the UN,s central role in resolving 
global security issues and the importance of not using force, 
threats or unilateral action to resolve international 
disputes (Comment:  This point, which almost certainly is 
directed toward the United States, in particular seems to 
reflect an effort by Turkmenistan to tone down initially 
 
ASHGABAT 00000804  003 OF 004 
 
 
tough Iranian language.  Charge had personally delivered ref 
b update on the status of the P5 1 Iran Initiative to Foreign 
Minister Meredov on July 21.  End comment.). 
 
-- Stresses that both countries consider that proliferation 
of weapons of mass destruction, trans-national crime, 
terrorism and drugs pose some of the biggest threats to peace 
and stability on the planet and reiterates the willingness of 
both sides to cooperate in the battle against these threats; 
and 
 
-- Reiterates that neither side will allow its territory to 
be used against the other. 
 
The document also stressed the need to reach agreement on a 
document on Caspian Sea borders, decided only by the five 
countries involved, and called for a second summit of heads 
of Caspian countries in Tehran. 
 
Inflammatory Address to Iranians Living in Turkmenistan 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) During his visit, President Ahmadinejad delivered 
an inflammatory address at the al-Zahra Mosque to a gathering 
of Iranians resident in Turkmenistan.  According to a BBC 
report, President Ahmadinejad, after criticizing the UN 
Security Council for its alleged dual standard in dealing 
with &the Zionist regime,8 asserted that the big powers 
controlling the region were trying to exert their hegemony 
over the entire region.  He accused these "big powers" of 
deliberately trying to halt the ®ional nations,8 
advancement.  Ahmadinejad also said that the Lebanese nation, 
despite being under the severe attacks of the &Zionist 
regime,8 has demonstrated that Israel is not invulnerable 
and has not permitted them (Israeli troops) to move an inch 
ahead.  He credited Lebanon,s success to a &popular 
force,8 which has succeeded in inflicting more damage on 
Israel in 13 days than three countries, fighting jointly, 
were able to do the last time they went to war.  Iran 
supported all oppressed nations in the world, he continued, 
but Iran,s support was merely of a spiritual and political 
nature.  Ahmadinejad then focused on the role that Iranians 
living abroad should fulfill, arguing that any Iranian 
expatriate should be an ambassador of the &rich Iranian 
culture and civilization.8 
 
Local Pools Closed 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (C) Ashgabat practically closed down during the two day 
visit.  Combined local and Iranian security forces were 
evident throughout the city and entire sections of major 
thoroughfares were shut down for lengthy periods to allow for 
the motorcades.  The city also went through a major cleanup, 
with curbs freshly painted and lane lines painted for the 
first time down the main road to the Iranian border.  The 
Iranian delegation was spread out between the Grand Turkmen, 
President and Serdar hotels, with Ahmadinejad staying in the 
presidential suite at the latter.  Local diplomats and other 
hotel guests tell us the swimming pools at the Grand Turkmen 
and the President were closed for the visit so as not to 
expose the visitors to stray views of flesh.  Interestingly, 
other guests at the President Hotel, normally off-limits to 
prostitutes by presidential order unless various foreign 
delegations are in town, reported seeing prostitutes in the 
hotel lobby during the visit. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Notwithstanding President Niyazov,s assertions to 
the diplomats and the glowing press coverage, this visit was 
neither fraternal nor focused on economics.  Relations 
between Turkmenistan and its much larger and more powerful 
neighbor to the south remain cautious at best:  the border is 
heavily guarded, travel restrictions on Iranians are tight 
here, and President Niyazov has needed to mend fences ever 
since he came out openly in support of President 
Ahmadinejad,s opponent in the last Iranian presidential 
election.  President Niyazov, who continues to try to 
negotiate higher gas prices with Russia, undoubtedly also 
 
ASHGABAT 00000804  004 OF 004 
 
 
hoped to use this visit to suggest to Moscow that it would 
continue to plan to diversify its pipeline options.  However, 
it is unlikely that he succeeded in either objective. 
Ahmadinejad may only have accepted Niyazov's invitation as a 
stopping point on the way to Dushanbe for a "Farsi Summit," 
with Presidents Rakhmonov of Tajikistan and Karzai of 
Afghanistan.  His almost total control of the trip's agenda 
indicates the desire to ensure nothing substantive resulted. 
That said, although President Niyazov clearly was prepared to 
defer to his guest in many respects, it is notable that he 
nonetheless drew the line at making statements that would 
compromise Turkmenistan,s neutrality by openly attacking the 
United States.  End Comment. 
BRUSH