VZCZCXRO2211
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0330/01 0720314
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120314Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0417
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3490
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1308
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1175
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1744
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2307
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000330 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EUR/SCE, EUR/ACE, DRL 
AID/W FOR EE/EA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KDEM TU TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  POSITIVE START TO THE U.S.-TURKISH 
COOPERATION DIALOGUE 
 
REF: A) ASHGABAT 0161 
 
     B) SECSTATE 07210 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  USAID Country Representative met on March 11 
with Turkish International Development Agency (TIKA) Coordinator in 
Turkmenistan and the Turkish Embassy in Ashgabat's Deputy Chief of 
Mission to explore and identify possible assistance cooperation 
activities in Turkmenistan.  In a positive and productive initial 
meeting, several specific areas of potential cooperation were 
identified, principally in the health and agricultural sectors.  In 
the coming weeks, USAID will organize meetings between TIKA and 
selected USAID implementing partners to discuss concrete ways in 
which TIKA and USAID's partners can work together.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Following a February 1 meeting between the U.S. and 
Turkish Chiefs of Mission and Deputy Chiefs of Mission during which 
both sides agreed to pursue cooperation on assistance at the working 
level (Ref. A), USAID began efforts to arrange a meeting to discuss 
potential joint activities.  USAID Country Representative met on 
March 11 with Turkish International Development Agency (TIKA) 
Coordinator and Turkish Embassy in Ashgabat's Deputy Chief of 
Mission to explore and identify possible assistance cooperation 
activities in Turkmenistan.  The TIKA Coordinator in Turkmenistan 
asked USAID to lead the discussion, which ultimately resulted in the 
areas of interest listed below. 
 
PREVENTING AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) 
 
¶4.  (U) Both sides recognized that their governments place a high 
priority on preventing Avian Influenza in Turkmenistan.  From 
Turkey's perspective, in addition to sharing potential bird 
migration routes with Turkmenistan, a TIKA-funded poultry project in 
Tejen was closed by the government due to perceived risks from AI. 
 
 
¶5.  (U) USAID/W recently launched the STOP AI program, which will 
support AI prevention activities in Turkmenistan by working with the 
State Veterinary Service. Representatives of the implementing 
partner, DAI/Winrock International, are in Ashgabat currently to 
identify potential areas of activity, principally with the State 
Veterinary Service.  Upon completion of the USAID mission later this 
week, USAID will share with TIKA information on possible AI-related 
activities with the veterinary service.  From its side, TIKA agreed 
to inquire with Ankara whether it would be able to participate in 
AI-related activities through provision of equipment, training or 
other inputs. 
 
SUPPORTING FAMILY MEDICINE TRAINING 
 
¶6.  (U) Through its partner, the American International Health 
Alliance (AIHA), USAID in close cooperation with the Ministry of 
Health and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan (MOHMI) previously 
established training facilities and provided various training 
courses on Family Medicine, Health Management topics, and Women's 
Health issues to instructors from the project sites both within and 
outside of Turkmenistan, including USA, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and 
Ukraine. 
 
¶7.  (U) In response to the request of MOHMI, AIHA equipped project 
sites with computers, office equipment, Internet connection, and 
various training aids for both clinical and non-clinical purposes. 
Partners and experts of AIHA assist their Turkmen partners to adapt 
international guidelines, training programs, and related 
evidence-based strategies and standards to incorporate them in their 
curricula and training plans. 
 
¶8.  (U) To build on these efforts, TIKA expressed a willingness to 
consider sending doctors to Turkey for further training in family 
medicine, and will consult with Ankara.  USAID proposed to arrange a 
meeting between TIKA and its health program management specialist in 
 
ASHGABAT 00000330  002 OF 003 
 
 
Ashgabat to further discuss how such cooperation might work. 
 
IMPROVING MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH 
 
¶9.  (U) Beginning January 1, 2007, all medical institutions in 
Turkmenistan shifted to the live birth definitions recommended by 
the World Health Organization. The transition to the WHO recommended 
definition of live births means a step away from the former Soviet 
recommendations.  This decision by the Government of Turkmenistan 
was a key step toward improving new-born care and survival and is 
expected to help to reduce infant and child mortality.  USAID has 
supported Turkmenistan's transition to the international standards 
of live birth, along with a variety of other donors, such as UNICEF, 
the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Population Fund 
(UNFPA), and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC).  These international agencies support the government efforts 
at national and sub-national levels through institutional capacity 
building of managers and academia at medical educational 
institutions and through introduction into pre-service curricula. 
 
¶10.  (U) TIKA expressed an interest in supplying equipment, such as 
incubators, to equip maternal care facilities in Turkmenistan, which 
would supplement ongoing USAID-funded training programs.  If such 
equipment is not produced in Turkey, then possible interest to 
support training courses for doctors could be considered.   As a 
next step, USAID's health program management specialist in Ashgabat 
will meet with TIKA to discuss in greater detail how potential 
cooperation might work.  TIKA agreed to consider options for 
cooperation in this area via either equipment provision or training. 
 
 
INTRODUCING MODERN GREENHOUSE TECHNOLOGIES 
 
¶11.  (U) TIKA expressed interest in USAID's ongoing activities that 
support the dissemination of new greenhouse technologies.  A 
demonstration greenhouse in Gorjaw village (Ahal province) was built 
in an existing greenhouse production area to show the potential of 
new production technologies and possible diversification from the 
existing ones.  The demonstration greenhouse was built with several 
features new to Turkmen farmers: a higher roof, drip irrigation 
system, multiple-source heating, and improved ventilation systems. 
USAID supported a study-tour to Turkey in 2007 to learn about modern 
greenhouse technologies in use there.  The project organizes field 
days for farmers to observe these improved features, and the 
greenhouse is being used as a training center by USAID projects to 
teach greenhouse vegetable producers how to increase yields.  So 
far, at least five field days have been organized and more than 100 
farmers trained since November 2007. 
 
¶12.  (U)   As a next step, USAID proposed to arrange a meeting 
between TIKA, Winrock, and USAID's economic program management 
specialist in Ashgabat to discuss further how such cooperation might 
work within the framework of USAID's agricultural programs in 
Turkmenistan implemented by Winrock. 
 
INCREASING PISTACHIO PRODUCTION 
 
¶13.  (U) USAID was interested to learn about TIKA's project 
supporting pistachio nut production.  Since TIKA has been working 
with groups of pistachio farmers, USAID was willing to consider ways 
in which it might support these existing groups of farmers through 
technical assistance from its Farmer-to-Farmer program or the 
Agricultural Linkages (AgLinks) project, both implemented by Winrock 
International.  The AgLinks project works to increase agricultural 
productivity in Turkmenistan (and Central Asia) by helping 
private-sector firms and farmers: 
 
-- improve market-driven agricultural production; 
-- develop key market-linking agri-businesses; and 
-- develop local capacity to understand, analyze and respond to 
market opportunities through marketing and market information 
support. 
 
ASHGABAT 00000330  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶14.  (U) As a next step, USAID agreed to arrange a meeting among 
Winrock, USAID, and TIKA to discuss opportunities for cooperation. 
USAID's economic program management specialist in Ashgabat will 
participate on behalf of USAID. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) COMMENT:  This was a productive meeting for both sides. 
In addition to specific areas of possible cooperation that were 
discussed, the Turkish side learned about the extent of the USG's 
development cooperation in Turkmenistan.  Future meetings will allowan opportunity to explore the areas identified above in greater 
detail.  We should expect slow steps toward cooperation at first, as 
each side gains a better understanding of the other's interests and 
policies, but this worthwhile engagement also presents the potential 
to bring TIKA into closer contact with the wider international 
development community in Turkmenistan.  As it stands now, TIKA is 
not a visible player in donor circles, but appeared to be willing to 
consider such opportunities.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND