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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1269/01 3271154
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231154Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9754
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0838
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0712
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3022
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1288
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1933
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 001269 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD 
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID ECON KPAO OIIP TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: ENERGY SECRETARY BODMAN WARMLY COVERED IN 
WESTERN/LOCAL PRESS, LESS SO IN RUSSIAN PRESS. 
 
REF: Ashgabat 1188 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman's 
November 14-15 visit to Turkmenistan received broad coverage in both 
state and international media.  Bodman's remarks at Turkmenistan's 
International Oil and Gas Exhibition conference (TIOGE), and his 
meetings with Turkmenistan's president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov 
received wide and generally accurate coverage.  Secretary Bodman's 
press conference also received generally good news coverage both 
locally and abroad.  In a break from the past, a relatively large 
number of foreign correspondents attended the press conference, as 
well as Turkmenistan's state news media.  Some Russian news outlets 
again spun an image of the United States competing with Russia for 
Central Asia's natural resources.  PDAS Steven Mann also received 
favorable coverage at TIOGE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
ACCURATE COVERAGE OF SECRETARY BODMAN'S TIOGE SPEECH 
 
¶2.  (U) Press coverage from Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman's 
November 14-15 visit to Turkmenistan was broad and favorable.  From 
November 15-19, Reuters, Agence France Presse, Interfax, ITAR-TASS 
articles on the TIOGE conference carried accurate quotes from 
Bodman's official conference speech about the need for transparent, 
stable and market-oriented legal and tax systems in Turkmenistan to 
attract world-class companies and about improved opportunities in 
energy cooperation with Turkmenistan.  The news agencies highlighted 
Bodman's quote that the United States was ready to become a 
long-term partner of Turkmenistan.  November 15 evening state 
"Watan" TV news program (Turkmen) carried a video report showcasing 
Bodman giving remarks at the conference, which included accurate 
excerpts.  The news broadcast also highlighted Bodman's meeting with 
government officials of Turkmenistan. 
 
AS USUAL: MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT HIGHLIGHTED 
 
¶3.  (U) On November 15, state "Watan" TV news program (Turkmen) 
highlighted Bodman's meeting with President Berdimuhamedov and also 
noted Secretary Bodman's remarks about U.S. business circles 
interested in establishing fruitful contacts with Turkmenistan. 
Following video and narrative of the meeting, the broadcast included 
a mostly accurate Turkmen translation of the Secretary's post 
meeting remarks with only minor, stylistic differences.  The 
following day, state dailies "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 
39,651) and "Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) carried 
front-page articles about the meeting, with content similar to the 
"Watan" broadcast.  In subsequent days, other government print and 
internet outlets carried the same story.  Russian news agencies 
Interfax (Russian, English) and ITAR-TASS (Russian, English) also 
accurately highlighted the meeting in their news reports. 
 
A REMARKABLE PRESS CONFERENCE -- BY TURKMENISTAN'S STANDARDS 
 
¶4.  (SBU) For the first time in recent history, Turkmenistan's state 
news media - multiple representatives of state media - attended a 
U.S. Embassy hosted press conference, along with their local 
stringer and foreign correspondent counterparts.  It was also 
clearly evident that in contrast to past practice, the state news 
outlets were operating independently of each other, as encouraged by 
President Berdimuhamedov in reftel.  "Turkmenistan TV" missed 
Secretary Bodman's press conference and desperately pleaded with PAO 
 
SIPDIS 
for an interview with the Secretary during the remainder of the day, 
because they were not able to borrow video from their colleagues at 
the "Altyn Asyr" or "Yaslyk" channels.  Another surprise happened at 
the press conference when a journalist for Turkmen State Press 
Service asked a question about prospects for U.S. cooperation in 
developing the country's energy sector.  (COMMENT: NOT a question 
about the Ruhnama or the Secretary's impressions of Ashgabat, "the 
white marble city," which could very well have been the case just a 
few months ago. END COMMENT.)  This kind of active participation by 
 
ASHGABAT 00001269  002 OF 003 
 
 
Turkmenistan's news media was itself unprecedented. 
 
¶5.  (U) State "Watan" TV news program's November 15 broadcast 
praised Bodman's press conference with state and foreign journalists 
as a major news story of the day.  The broadcast accurately and in 
full aired Secretary Bodman's introductory remarks to journalists 
about his meeting with the president, and gave an outlined summary 
of Bodman's answers to press questions.  The following day, state 
dailies "Neutral Turkmenistan" (Russian, circ. 39,651) and 
"Turkmenistan" (Turkmen, circ. 29,091) carried articles, with 
similar content to the "Watan" news broadcast, highlighting the 
press conference. (COMMENT: "Watan" News program personnel requested 
a Turkmen language translation of Secretary Bodman's opening remarks 
from the press conference and carried it accurately as provided, in 
full.  END COMMENT.)  The press conference itself seemed to be 
newsworthy, as the state newspapers used the headline that the "U.S. 
Energy Secretary answered questions for journalists." 
 
¶6.  (U) November 15-16 articles by "Bloomberg," "Reuters", "Agence 
France Presse", "Global Insight Limited", "Platts Commodity News", 
"Interfax" and "ITAR-TASS" in English accurately quoted Bodman's 
remarks from the press conference regarding diversification of 
energy supplies to Europe and President Berdimuhamedov's intention 
to consider all possible routes for gas exports, while emphasizing 
that the Secretary's comment that there was no threat to Russian 
interests.  ITAR-TASS (Russian, English) accurately quoted Secretary 
Bodman's expression of U.S. opposition to a trans-Iranian route for 
gas pipelines to Europe because of U.S. concerns about Iran's 
nuclear program.  The outlet did not choose to highlight or 
over-emphasize this point (NOTE: "BBC", Turkish "TRT" TV channel, 
among other Turkish news agency stringers participated in the press 
event.  Turkish news agencies had previously ignored most U.S. 
Embassy press events.  END NOTE.) 
 
REMARKABLE ACCESS FOR WESTERN JOURNALISTS, ESPECIALLY BBC 
 
¶7.  (SBU) It was a surprise to post (and to other embassies in town) 
that a BBC TV crew, and correspondents from Bloomberg, Energy 
Intelligence, Platts Commodity News, and other foreign journalists 
were issued visas or otherwise invited to attend the TIOGE 
conference.  In contrast to usual practice, the journalists were not 
shepherded around by government minders.  Several stayed for a few 
days after TIOGE and for the most part worked independently. 
Remarkably, the BBC crew filmed around Ashgabat for several days 
after TIOGE with no problems.  Additionally, the Ministry of Oil and 
Gas escorted the BBC crew on a day trip to the coastal city of 
Turkmenbashy for visits to oil refineries and other sites. 
Otherwise, BBC worked independently on a variety of stories. 
 
PDAS MANN'S EFFECTIVE TIOGE PRESS COVERAGE 
 
¶8.  (U) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Steven Mann, 
who arrived in advance of Secretary Bodman held short interviews 
with an AP local stringer, BBC, and Bloomberg.  All three outlets 
carried accurate and favorable coverage of PDAS Mann and the U.S. 
role in the TIOGE conference, including BBC World's feature on TIOGE 
broadcast on its World Business Report program on November 15. 
 
RUSSIAN PRESS  --  NEW "GREAT GAME" SPIN 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Many Russian News sources not present in Ashgabat "Vremya 
Novostey", "Vedomosti", "RIA Novosti", "FC-Novosti", "WPS Russian 
Media Monitoring Agency" and "RosBusinessConsulting", and ITAR-TASS 
(present for the Secretary's Press Conference) as well as a handful 
of western outlets carried accurate coverage of Secretary Bodman's 
visit to Turkmenistan, but largely drew the conclusion that the 
visit was an attempt by the United States to weaken Russia's 
influence or access to energy resources in Central Asia.  Many also 
emphasized American efforts to use a Trans-Caspian pipeline to 
 
ASHGABAT 00001269  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
bypass Russia. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENT:  State media's approach to Secretary Bodman's 
visit and TIOGE demonstrated a continued evolution and even 
decentralization.  Even more openly than before Ministry of Culture 
and state media representatives hounded Embassy media staff for 
information on Secretary Bodman's schedule and asked for "exclusive" 
interviews in order to maximize their coverage, in apparent 
competition with each other.  Following Secretary Bodman's meeting 
with President Berdimuhammedov, a dedicated state TV crew followed 
Bodman for every subsequent part of his schedule to the extent 
possible.  For the first time in several years, state TV crews, 
including state TV Channel directors, along with print media 
representatives joined foreign media representatives for a press 
conference conducted by the Embassy.  The "Turkmenistan" TV Channel 
crew which missed the Secretary's press conference was loudly and 
openly criticized by the channel's director in full view of Embassy 
personnel -- a striking example that the different news outlets are 
under pressure to start "pulling their own weight." 
 
¶11.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: The Government of Turkmenistan had a 
much more relaxed approach to visiting foreign journalists than 
previously observed.  Unlike previous official events attended by 
foreign journalists, the government made no effort to corral the 
press or control their movements.  The BBC correspondent noted that 
a government official "asked" her not to film a shoddy looking 
building, but did not stop her from doing so.  In addition, some 
foreign correspondents were pleased with the number of local 
citizens who were willing to speak with them, some even "on the 
record" with use of their full names.  All of this is unprecedented 
for Turkmenistan. 
END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN