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DE RUEHAH #1227/01 3170442
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P 130442Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9691
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
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RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1892
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RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001227 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EEB, DRL 
 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EINV EPET SCUL EU TX
 
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN'S BERDIMUHAMEDOV IN BRUSSELS:  A BRIEF 
DEBRIEF 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  President Berdimuhamedov's November 5-7 visit to 
Brussels seemed to reinforce that Turkmenistan is following its own 
path and, as yet, has little interest in the kinds of 
outward-looking compromises that could make it truly an 
international player.  In energy, Berdimuhamedov significantly 
enunciated a new position.  He said, "If it is in our strategic 
interest to reduce natural gas volumes to Russia and China to meet 
European demand, we will do so."  The EU agreed to open a full EU 
Delegation presence in Ashgabat by 2009 or 2010.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Charge met with French Ambassador Christian Lechervy on 
November 12 for a read-out of President Berdimuhamedov's November 
5-7 visit to Brussels (France is the EU contact embassy in 
Ashgabat).  Lechervy said most of the meetings were set pieces with 
well-known positions rehearsed by both sides. 
 
TURKMEN GAS TO EUROPE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) In Brussels, Berdimuhamedov restated Turkmenistan's 
familiar policy that it sells its gas at its border, and it's up to 
others to get it out.  He cited the Chinese as an excellent model of 
cooperation:  "They know what they want and are building the 
pipeline."  He reportedly complained, as usual, that the Europeans 
and Americans only "talk at him" but refuse to present a concrete 
proposal for a pipeline to Europe.  EU Energy Commissioner Piebalgs 
replied to Berdimuhamedov private companies cannot commit to 
investments that would include expensive new pipelines if they don't 
know the volume of natural gas reserves.  Berdimuhamedov vowed he 
personally guarantees the volumes exist, and investors must trust 
his word.  However, he said, "If it is in our strategic interest to 
reduce volumes to Russia and China to meet European demand, we will 
do so."  He also confirmed he has told Russian President Putin that 
he now wants $150 per thousand cubic meters, instead of the current 
$100 that Gazprom pays.  (NOTE:  This is still more than $100 below 
market prices.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Lechervy described as "wishful thinking" rumors that 
Turkmenistan and the EU signed in Brussels a memorandum of 
understanding (MOU) on energy.  He clarified that the EU offered the 
text of an MOU similar to the one signed with Kazakhstan four or 
five months ago, but the Turkmenistanis said only they would study 
it. 
 
¶6.  (U) Energy Commissioner Piebalgs will attend the Turkmenistan 
International Oil and Gas Exhibition in Ashgabat on November 15. 
His official delegation will include representatives from BP, Total, 
and OMV (Austria). 
 
HUMAN RIGHTS 
 
¶7.  (U) According to Lechervy, the Europeans diplomatically chided 
Berdimuhamedov for not acting on "lists they have submitted to him 
for action."  Reportedly, Berdimuhamedov took it in stride. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Charge suggested the United States and the EU should join 
forces, under the auspices of the UN, to submit a combined list 
soonest so that Turkmenistan has time to take at least some action 
before the UN International Conference to commemorate the opening of 
the UN Preventative Diplomacy Center in Ashgabat, December 10-12. 
Lechervy was sympathetic but questioned whether there would be time 
for full coordination with the EU at this late date, since all 
member states must concur, and "that could take months." 
 
BUSINESS 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The Belgian corporation ENEX sponsored a business dinner 
for Berdimuhamedov that 150 mostly European business representatives 
attended.  Berdimuhamedov arrived late, and then apparently did the 
same power-point presentation he used at the Eurasia Group luncheon 
 
ASHGABAT 00001227  002 OF 002 
 
 
in September in New York.  Lechervy commented the signals were "at 
best mixed." 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Berdimuhamedov spent 20 minutes touting the Avaza Tourist 
Zone development project near Turkmenbashy on the Caspian coast. 
Lechervy commented that the grandiose project is a "Soviet-style 
fantasy" that was an ide fixe of former President Niyazov.  In the 
late 1990s, Club Mediterranean looked into the proposal, "but ran 
away laughing."  Lechervy said Turkmenistan gives no indication it 
is willing to relax its draconian, intelligence-agency-controlled 
visa regime and has no serious plans, despite generalized statements 
to the contrary, to rebuild the Turkmenbashy airport which "has no 
decent air traffic control, no ability to receive modern aircraft, a 
highly dangerous tarmac, no fire-fighting service, and no 
international-standard refueling capability."  Lechervy mused that 
at best Avaza will be an "upscale Soviet sanatoria project, circa 
1983."  That said, the French construction firm Bouygues will 
participate "for profit." 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Adding to the "mixed signals" evaluation, Lechervy said 
the French citizen manager of DGTL Logistics, servicing the oil and 
gas industry, a long-time resident in Turkmenistan, was denied 
re-entry at the Ashgabat airport on November 9 when returning from 
his regional headquarters in Dubai.  He was detained at the airport 
for 24 hours and then deported with no explanation.  Lechervy noted 
this follows on the heels of the deportation of the Turkish-Turkmen 
Hospital's English-speaking and international-standard Jordanian 
physician, Dr. Yahyah, two weeks ago. 
 
EDUCATION 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Lechervy said Berdimuhamedov made education a key point 
of his presentations, saying he wants Turkmenistan to reach 
international standards as soon as possible.  But, Berdimuhamedov 
reportedly added, "We do not need assistance.  We need your support 
for our goal."  Lechervy questioned what Berdimuhamedov means by 
support, noting Turkmenistan has rejected four of five EU-TACIS 
offers of cooperation on education. 
 
¶13.  (SBU) COMMENT:  We'd suggest there might be an element of 
Gallic world-weariness in this read-out.  However, it does not 
radically depart from our own close observations in recent months. 
It seems what we need to understand is Turkmenistan under 
Berdimuhamedov chooses to follow its own path and is not necessarily 
open to cooperation in the sense of meeting-of-the-minds middle 
ground.  Sometimes it almost seems Turkmenistan's position is "Do it 
our way, or bye-bye."  Opportunities for positive cooperation do 
indeed exist, and will sometimes pop up unexpectedly -- e.g., State 
TV recently asking for U.S. expert trainers.  It is essential we 
remain optimistic, but we need more than ever to try to figure out 
how to couch our positions in terms that make sense to the current 
powers that be in Turkmenistan.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND