VZCZCXRO9793
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0307/01 0790613
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 200613Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8554
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/OSCE POST COLLECTIVE
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0225
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0247
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1924
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0667
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0721
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000307 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) 
INFO SCA/PPD (VAN DE VATE), IIP/G/NEA-SA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO PREL TX
SUBJECT: BERDIMUHAMMEDOV CONTINUES TO PUSH FOR MORE EDUCATION, 
CULTURE REFORMS 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) President Berdimuhammedov finally filled the position he 
himself had occupied as Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers 
and announced further dramatic and likely progressive changes to the 
education and cultural sector in a March 16 Cabinet of Ministers 
meeting.  In a surprising move, Berdimuhammedov promoted former - 
and recently reappointed Minister of Education Hydyr Saparliyev as 
Deputy Chairman in charge of a broad portfolio including education 
(including the National Archives), science, healthcare, culture, 
sport, religious affairs and public organizations -- and indirect 
oversight of all state media and publishing.  He appointed the 
reputedly progressive rector of Turkmenistan's Institute of National 
Economy, Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov, to replace Saparliyev as Minister 
of Education.  Berdimuhammedov expanded on earlier stated plans for 
curriculum reform in Turkmenistan's schools and urged greater 
activism in the (state-controlled) social sector.  Chastising 
Minister of Culture Enebay Atayeva, he reassigned oversight of all 
state media to the President's Press Secretary, and announced his 
intention to create a new deputy chairman position for culture 
within the Council of Ministers.  End Summary. 
 
Curriculum Reform to be Broadened 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Despite his evident fear and discomfort in his one meeting 
with post while Minister of Education under the Niyazov 
administration, Saparlyev has now been catapulted to a position of 
great authority under Berdimuhammedov.  One FSN who worked 
tangentially with Saparliyev contends he is competent to take this 
role, as the current operating environment is a dramatic departure 
from that under Niyazov.  Rector of the Turkmen Institute of 
National Economy Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov took Saparlyev's place as 
Minister of Education, and Gulshat Sahyevna Mammedova assumed the 
position of deputy minister of education for kindergartens and 
secondary schools.  Mammedova had been director of the Gurbansoltan 
Eje School and chairperson of the Ashgabat City Education 
Administration.  (Note: There is no news on the fate of former 
deputy minister Jemal Bashimov.  End Note.) 
 
¶3.  (U) In addition to these leadership changes, Berdimuhammedov 
again emphasized the enormity of the proposed education sector 
changes he proposed.  For the first time, he publicly mentioned the 
need to reform curricula and textbooks from the kindergarten level 
all the way up through higher education institutions.  (Comment: 
Such a statement opens the possibility, for the first time, that 
there could be a change in the way Ruhnama study, among other 
subjects, is handled in schools.  End Comment.) 
 
¶4.  (U) Berdimuhammedov again welcomed expanding study abroad 
opportunities and invited cooperation with foreign specialists in 
such fields as "economics, engineering, and computer technology." 
Military faculties -- operated in conjunction with the Ministry of 
Defense -- were to open at Turkmen State University, the 
Agricultural University, the Polytechnic Institute and the Transport 
and Communications Institute.  (Comment: With the creation of such 
institutes, military service will likely no longer be obligatory for 
university-level students, although it will persist as a requirement 
for those not entering higher education institutions.  End 
Comment.) 
 
Call to Energize the Social, Cultural Sectors 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Berdimuhammedov also called for Saparlyev to energize the 
social sector through closer work with religious groups and social 
organizations such as the Women's and Youth Unions and the Galkynysh 
(Revival) Movement, saying that these groups have been too passive. 
He urged the head of Youth Unions to work more closely with 
secondary schools and higher education institutions and make an 
effort to be a visible presence in state mass media. 
 
¶6.  (U) He also urged greater activity in the sports and tourism 
sectors.  Most importantly, he hoped that Turkmenistan's youth would 
achieve a higher status in international sports competitions.  He 
stated that Ashgabat youth underachieved relative to their peers in 
the regions; stadiums should be built in each region and the 
Ministry of Sports and Tourism should provide greater support for 
young sportsmen, either by admitting them to the Sports Institute in 
Ashgabat or supporting them in efforts to compete internationally. 
 
ASHGABAT 00000307  002 OF 002 
 
 
Saparlyev should also enliven the tourism sector by ensuring better 
advertising for Turkmenistan's natural and historical sites. 
 
Shake-Up in Media, Cultural Spheres 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) Culture Minister Atayeva's star has fallen precipitously, 
with Berdimuhammedov reprimanding her during the meeting for 
sloppiness in her oversight of state television, a lack of 
initiative in programming -- including allowing state television and 
radio to recycle old material -- lying, and not being at her place 
of work.  While some had regarded Atayeva as a possible candidate 
for the Deputy Minister position, President Berdimuhammedov made 
clear that her days were numbered.  This criticism was prompted by a 
March 13 state news television broadcast of a segment (presumably 
about technology) that was at least three years out of date; 
Berdimuhammedov urged state media to update its knowledge and use of 
modern technologies. 
 
¶8.  (U) Berdimuhammedov announced his intention to create a new 
deputy minister position for culture, and assigned full interim 
responsibility for print and broadcast media, including the State 
Publishing Service, the Committee on Protecting State Secrets in the 
Press, and the State News Service, to Presidential Press Secretary 
Akmurat Hudayberdiyev (reappointed to that position on February 27). 
 According to one of his former employees, Hudayberdiev had long 
shunned the limelight, with the result that few were aware of his 
position in the administration until his reappointment. 
Hudayberdiyev provided a recommendation to a former subordinate to 
support her participation in the Humphrey Fellowship -- when such 
support was risky among government employees. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Post is cautiously optimistic about the reshuffling of these 
officials.  Just as it was difficult to foresee Berdimuhammedov's 
potential as a reformer under Niyazov, these new appointees did not 
particularly distinguish themselves as forward-leaning under the 
former president.  Yet, the President's statements and the new 
appointments appear to signal Berdimuhammedov's commitment to carry 
through with significant, progressive reform, at least in the 
education sector.  End Comment. 
 
Biographical Note 
------------------ 
 
¶10.  (U) Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov was appointed Minister of 
Education on March 16, 2007.  He was born in 1959 in Ashgabat, 
Turkmenistan.  Received BA in Economics from Turkmenistan's 
Institute of National Economy, Ashgabat, and an MA (Kanditatskaya) 
in Economic Sciences from the Moscow Finance Institute. 
1980 - 1986 Secretary of Youth Organization, instructor; 
1986 - 1989 Post-graduate student of Moscow Finance Institute; 
1989 - 1993 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Senior 
Instructor, Associate Professor of the Accounting Department; 
1993 - 1997 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Deputy Dean of 
Calculation in the Statistics Department; 
1997 - 1998 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Associate 
Professor of the Accounting, Auditing and Statistics Department; 
1998 - 2002 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Dean of the 
Economics Department; 
2002 - 2004 Turkmen Institute of National Economy, Vice-Rector for 
academics at the Institute; 
2004 - 2007 Rector of the Turkmen Institute of National Economy. 
End Note. 
 
¶11.  (U) Dushanbe minimize considered 
 
TROUTMAN