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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN
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DE RUEHAH #1140/01 2950904
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220904Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9579
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 2900
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0721
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RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1173
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1833

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001140 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, SCA/PPD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID SOCI TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  SUPREME COUNCIL REQUESTS PRESENTATION ON 
USG INTERNET TRAINING PROGRAM 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (U) SUMMARY: In USAID's first meeting with Turkmenistan's 
Supreme Council on Science and Technology on October 18, the 
Council's Deputy Chairwoman and Department Head for State Science 
Policy Realization explained the body's role in coordinating the 
activities of the country's scientific agencies, providing technical 
expertise in educational technologies, and training scientific 
cadre.  They also discussed its involvement in NATO's Virtual Silk 
Highway program, which provides high-speed Internet connectivity 
with European Union (EU) funding for 52 scientific and higher 
educational institutions across Turkmenistan and briefly outlined 
its vision for strengthening technological interactions among 
government institutions.  As a next step, the Deputy Chairwoman 
requested a formal presentation on USAID's Internet Access and 
Training Program (IATP), which is prepared to expand its current 
training activities on Internet technologies for civic actors to 
government officials.  Cooperation with the Supreme Council, which 
has also been tasked by President Berdimuhamedov with reestablishing 
the Academy of Sciences, presents a good opportunity to expand 
relations with an entity that will play a key role in expanding 
access to Internet and other technologies -- apparently with the 
President's personal support. END SUMMARY. 
 
AN EMERGING PLAYER IN BERDIMUHAMEDOV'S TURKMENISTAN 
 
¶3.  (U) On October 18, USAID/Almaty Democracy and Governance Office 
Director Kim Delaney and USAID Country Representative Ashley Moretz 
met with the Supreme Council on Science and Technology under the 
President of Turkmenistan to discuss opportunities for cooperation. 
Deputy Chairwoman Akjeren Annanurova  provided a brief history of 
the institution, which was founded in 1993 as a public organization, 
but was converted to an official government structure in 1995 (NOTE: 
By statute, the President of Turkmenistan is the Chairman. END 
NOTE).  Earlier this year, the President tasked the Supreme Council 
with overseeing the reestablishment of the Academy of Sciences.  In 
this role, it will coordinate the work of the country's scientific 
agencies and play a leading role in training scientific cadre on the 
use of emerging technologies. 
 
¶4.  (U) The Deputy Chairwoman identified seven priority sectors for 
developing and introducing technologies: energy complex (including 
geology, geophysics and construction); humanitarian (including 
history, literature and law); agriculture; medicine and science; 
ecology (including environment and biotechnology); information and 
communications technology; and economy.  Since 2003, the Supreme 
Council has overseen high-speed Internet connections for the 
country's higher education institutions via NATO's Virtual Silk 
Highway project with EU funding.  Under this program, Turkmenistan 
will continue to receive free Internet access through the end of the 
year, after which time the connection's future is "up to NATO." 
(COMMENT: Actually, the EU -- not NATO -- currently pays for this 
connection, and has indicated that it does not intend to extend the 
current agreement when it expires at the end of this year because it 
believes Turkmenistan has sufficient resources to pay itself. 
According to the EU, Turkmenistan can continue participating in this 
program if it identifies a source of funds. END COMMENT) 
 
¶5.  (U) The Department Head for State Science Policy Realization, 
Dr. Orazmamed Vasov, elaborated on the Supreme Council's work and 
the current extent of Internet access in Turkmenistan.  Through the 
Virtual Silk Highway project, Turkmenistan has created a network of 
52 scientific   organizations across the country, with locations in 
Ashgabat, Turkmenbashy, Balkanabad, Serdar, Turkmenabad, Dashoguz, 
Mary and Tejen.  Furthermore, he advised that 69 percent of these 
connections come via fiber-optic cable, 28 percent are served by 
radio link, and only 3 percent rely on dial-up connections.  The 
prevalence of high-speed access throughout the network affords 
video-conference capabilities and for the health sector, the 
opportunity to introduce a platform for telemedicine. 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00001140  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (U) Vasov also shared details of other projects the Supreme 
Council is considering.  First, he would like to start an electronic 
catalog system for the Central Library, which could provide access 
by the regions to the library's holdings in the future.  Next, a 
database of dissertations would support the council's activities 
related to overseeing the issuance of higher education degrees, a 
role assigned by the president in 2007.  Finally, by building on the 
linkages among health institutions, the council would like to 
support the introduction of telemedicine. 
 
OPPORTUNITY FOR COOPERATION VIA IATP 
 
¶7.  (SBU) USAID presented another avenue for potential cooperation 
with the Supreme Council, the Internet Access and Training Program 
(IATP), implemented by IREX.  This regional program has been 
operating in Turkmenistan since 2000 with State Department funding, 
but funding and administrative oversight was transferred to USAID in 
August 2007.  The program provides training and Internet access for 
the general public through a network of six centers across 
Turkmenistan, but has not concentrated on cooperation with 
government structures to date.  After an overview of possible areas 
of engagement with IREX, the Deputy Chairwoman requested a 
presentation by IREX's staff to the Supreme Council to determine 
concrete proposals since this was the first official meeting between 
USAID and the Supreme Council. USAID agreed to propose a date for 
such a presentation via official channels following consultation 
with IREX. 
 
¶8.  (U) COMMENT: Several informal meetings have taken place 
previously between IREX and representatives of the Supreme Council, 
but since they have not been facilitated by the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, this was considered the first "official" meeting.  Both 
representatives of the Supreme Council appeared eager to expand 
cooperation with the U.S. Government. 
 
¶9.  (U) COMMENT CONTINUED: The Supreme Council is directly 
subordinate to the President of Turkmenistan, and President 
Berdimuhamedov was heavily involved in expanding the Virtual Silk 
Highway to the health sector when he was Minister of Health and 
Medical Industry.  This body is poised to play a key role in the 
technological development of higher education and research 
institutions in Turkmenistan, and expanded relations with the 
Supreme Council via IATP and other USG programs could provide 
insights into how -- and how widely -- the President's continuing 
calls for Internet access will be implemented. END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND