VZCZCXRO7945
RR RUEHAST RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHMRE RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0505/01 1370308
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170308Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8755
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNOSC/OSCE POST COLLECTIVE
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0303
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0325
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0807
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2010
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0753
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0254
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000505 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO SOCI PREL PINR TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S PARLIAMENTARIANS GREET U.S. EDUCATION 
DELEGATION WARMLY, OFFER NOTHING 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (U) Rounding out its official meetings in Ashgabat, the 
education delegation led by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for 
the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Exchanges Alina Romanowski 
met on May 3 with Chairmen of three (Mejlis) parliamentary 
committees: 
 
-- Maral Paltayava - Committee on Economic and Social Issues, 
 
-- Baymyrat Babayev - Committee on Science, Education and Culture, 
and 
 
-- Gelimyrat Allayev - Committee on Interparliamentary and 
International Relations. 
 
All alumni of U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs, the 
Mejlis representatives were cordial and forthright but made clear 
that they play no role in the policy-making process.  End Summary. 
 
REVIEW OF THE DRAFTING PROCESS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (U) DAS Romanowski referred to the delegation's meetings with 
the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Hydyr Saparlyev and 
Minister of Education Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov earlier in the day 
(septel), asking how the Mejlis interacted with the ministerial 
decision making process. 
 
¶3.  (U) Paltayeva, who dominated the host government side, said that 
legislation originated in the five-year plan developed by individual 
incoming Mejlis deputies, but also from presidential and ministry 
initiatives.  Once elected, a deputy sent letters to government 
institutions within his/her constituency to solicit areas of 
priority activity during the deputy's term.  A deputy either 
initiated a draft law or received a draft law from regional 
government bodies, with whom the Mejlis coordinated drafting 
activity.  A draft law was first circulated through one of the 
parliament's five committees: those represented at the meeting as 
well as Committees on Liaison with Local Governments (Gengeshi) and 
that on Human Rights.  The draft law then was sent to relevant 
ministries for comment.  The Mejlis later created a working group, 
often including relevant ministry representatives, to further tailor 
the draft law, send the law for public comment, then finally to the 
president for approval. 
 
MEJLIS OPEN TO FOREIGN EXPERTS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4.  (U) When possible, deputies referred to international models and 
consulted with foreign experts, including those from other CIS 
countries, in creating a draft law.  Paltayeva described two cases 
in which the Mejlis had hosted European legislative experts to 
assist in the drafting process.  Rolf Knipper, President of the 
International Arbitration Court, visited Turkmenistan in 2005 to 
assist the Mejlis to draft Turkmenistan's civil code.  UNICEF was 
sponsoring cooperative activity to promote public awareness of the 
law on the Rights of the Child.  (Note:  This activity is part of 
the UN's five-year plan with the host government, for 2005-2009. 
End Note.)  In response to Romanowski's offer of an eventual 
exchange of parliament members with the United States, Paltayeva 
said the Parliament of the Republic of Georgia had also offered such 
an exchange, and that the Mejlis was always open to such contact. 
Paltayeva noted with pride that she had participated in a recent 
group exchange to Sweden on education issues, and that she had 
traveled to the United States in 1994 on a U.S.-sponsored program to 
examine banking legislation issues.  (Note:  Paltayeva could not 
remember what agency sponsored this program.  Babayev is an alumnus 
of a 2002 International Visitors Program on Internet policy. 
Allayev visited the United States earlier this year on a Department 
of Justice-sponsored rule of law visit.  End Note.) 
 
FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES IN ASHGABAT, INTERNET IN VILLAGES? 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5.  (U) In the area of educational reform, Romanowski ceded that the 
Ministry of Education might need time to "clear the way forward" on 
many of President Berdimuhammedov's proposed reforms, but said that 
the United States could offer a broad range of assistance in this 
 
ASHGABAT 00000505  002 OF 002 
 
 
effort.  Paltayeva responded that, indeed, "it takes time" to build 
the framework of proposed reforms, but that the Government of 
Turkmenistan -- like that of the United States -- placed a very high 
priority on education.  Delegation members asked whether the 
intention (discussed when Berdimuhammedov met Russian President 
Vladimir Putin in Moscow in late April) to establish a branch of 
Moscow State University in Ashgabat indicated forthcoming acceptance 
of foreign degrees by the Government of Turkmenistan.  Paltayeva 
said that "of course" the presence of foreign teaching specialists 
in Turkmenistan would mean an acceptance of foreign degrees; but it 
was unclear if Paltayeva understood the question correctly. 
Paltayeva also (incorrectly) suggested that there had been 
discussions to open branches of U.S. universities, which, like the 
branch of Moscow State University, would be based in the new 
International Ruhnama University in Ashgabat.  As yet, Paltayeva 
said, there were no plans for those branches to operate 
"independently" in Turkmenistan, that is, outside of the Ruhnama 
University. 
 
¶6.  (U) Babayev highlighted state Internet activities, stating that 
state Internet cafes were to be opened in each major region and then 
in each "district and village" of Turkmenistan.  (Comment:  The 
wallflowerish Babayev seemed intimidated during the meeting and 
spoke only briefly, in Turkmen, whereas the confident Paltayeva -- 
obviously in charge -- spoke in Russian.  End Comment.) 
 
VAGUE ON EDUCATION LAW CHANGES 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (U) Babayev said that existing education legislation was updated 
shortly after Berdimuhammedov's announcements of reform in January 
and February; therefore, the current legislative basis for the 
educational system was adequate for the proposed reforms, but 
legislation was "a living document" and could be changed should the 
need arise.  Paltayeva did not foresee a case in which the Mejlis or 
the legislative process might directly influence education 
policymaking.  Asked about the Mejlis' potential influence on 
development of curriculum and textbooks, Paltayeva said that such 
influence would only come through when a draft law went through the 
working group process. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) One purpose of the delegation's meeting was to insure that 
information about available U.S.-funded support in the education 
sphere reaches beyond the protective walls of the Ministry of 
Education and individuals such as Deputy Chairman for Education, 
Health, Culture and Science Saparlyev, who provides no evidence of 
being interested in change in the education sector.  Post believes 
that the participating deputies understand well the value of 
exchanges and of broader access to the Internet.  While they may not 
have direct influence over educational policy, their long-term 
presence in the decision-making process is another possible pressure 
point on government policy-making.  End Comment. 
 
BRUSH