VZCZCXRO2845
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DE RUEHAH #0199/01 0390939
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 080939Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0234
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3351
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1167
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RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1604
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000199 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
USAID/W FOR EE/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG IR AF UZ TI TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN EMERGING AS PRAGMATIC REGIONAL PLAYER 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  The delivery of a significant amount of 
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and enhanced provision of 
electricity to Tajikistan, combined with intensified economic 
cooperation and diplomatic activity in the region, suggest 
that Turkmenistan's leadership sees value in establishing 
itself as a responsible regional player.  END SUMMARY. 
 
TURKMEN HUMANITARIAN AID TO AFGHANISTAN 
 
¶3.  (U)  Turkmen and Afghan media reported February 7 that 
Turkmenistan had sent off a large caravan of humanitarian aid 
to Afghanistan.  The shipment reportedly contained 1,000 tons 
of flour, 500 tons of diesel oil, and 9,000 tons of mostly 
children's clothing.  The donation was to be distributed in 
forty-two districts in five provinces of northern Afghanistan 
-- Jouzjan, Faryab, Balkh, Kunduz, Badghis.   President 
Berdimuhamedov and Afghan President Karzai had spoken by 
phone on January 29, when a decision was made to send this 
assistance.  "Neytralniy Turkmenistan" printed photos of the 
caravan's sendoff, which included traditional dancers, a 
dutar musical ensemble, and crowds of balloon-waving 
students. 
 
¶4.  (U)  This is the first direct delivery of humanitarian 
aid to Afghanistan that anyone can remember coming from 
Turkmenistan, although Turkmenistan's government has provided 
other forms of assistance to the Afghans in the recent past. 
Turkmenistan, for example, financed the reconstruction of a 
two-kilometer stretch of railroad track from the border at 
Serhetabat (formerly Gushgi) to Turgundi last year.  The 
government has also been assisting Afghanistan in meeting its 
energy needs, including construction of power lines and 
electrical distribution stations, delivery of electricity and 
liquefied petroleum gas at subsidized rates of two cents per 
kilowatt hour, and occasional forgiveness of electricity 
debts. 
 
¶5.  (U)   Turkmenistan's leadership undoubtedly supports the 
stabilization and development of Afghanistan for pragmatic 
and strategic, as well as humanitarian, reasons.  President 
Berdimuhamedov, following in Niyazov's footsteps, is 
continuing to advance the development of a 
Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline (TAPI), 
arguing that beyond the advantages for Turkmenistan, the 
pipeline would provide much-needed income and jobs for 
Afghanistan, and aid the region's infrastructural 
development.  Additional expansion of Afghanistan's 
electricity distribution systems and construction of a modern 
highway infrastructure would benefit Turkmenistan's regional 
economic goals as much as Afghanistan's. 
 
DOES TURKMENISTAN WANT TO BE A REGIONAL LEADER? 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  There are other signs that President 
Berdimuhamedov's goal is to refurbish Turkmenistan's regional 
image from that of an isolated, impoverished dictatorship to 
an economically-pragmatic regional partner willing to 
cooperate on issues of mutual benefit.  Turkmenistan is 
building a solid new partnership with Uzbekistan.  In spite 
of years of troubled bilateral relations while Niyazov was 
alive, the government has been able to turn the relationship 
around.  Uzbek President Karimov paid an official visit to 
Ashgabat in late 2007, Uzbek companies recently held a 
business exhibition in Ashgabat, and the two countries have 
been cooperating -- at least, when Tashkent is inclined to do 
so -- to deliver electricity to Tajikistan since November 
¶2007. 
 
¶7.  (U) Its electricity deal with Tajikistan has also given 
Turkmenistan an opportunity to reveal its emerging 
reliability as a regional partner.  Energy shortages have 
been rampant across Central Asia, due to an exceptionally 
 
ASHGABAT 00000199  002 OF 002 
 
 
cold winter, and Tajikistan, especially, is close to crisis. 
Turkmenistan has consistently and reliably exported at least 
three million kilowatts per day to Tajikistan since November, 
while Uzbekistan's deliveries have largely ceased since early 
January.   On January 28, after Tajik President Rahmon asked 
President Berdimuhamedov to increase the desparately-needed 
supply of electricity, Turkmenistan increased delivery to 
Tajikistan to 6.6 million kilowatts per day -- when 
Uzbekistan allows it to be delivered. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)   Even Turkmenistan's on-going gas dispute with 
Iran has shown Turkmenistan's government is looking for 
respect, and is developing the savvy to get it.  Ashgabat 
firmly reminded Tehran that Turkmenistan does not have to do 
business with its southern neighbor, and that it prefers to 
work with reliable partners.   At the same time, however, 
Turkmenistan's government welcomed an economic exhibition, as 
well as a week of Iranian cultural events that included a 
popular Iranian film festival. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)   COMMENT:  Turkmenistan is surprisingly quickly 
emerging as a (ragmatic and responsible regional player.  It 
appears to be evolving beyond simple, bilateral views of 
mutual interest to a more strategic perspective of the role 
Turkmen leaders see the country playing in the future.  END 
COMMENT. 
HOAGLAND