VZCZCXRO4250
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0497/01 1130749
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220749Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0639
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3657
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1475
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1342
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 1911
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2430
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 02 ASHGABAT 000497 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, SCA/PPD, EUR/ACE, DRL 
AID/W FOR EE/EA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM EAID KDEM TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN:  NEXT STEPS IN U.S.-TURKISH DIALOGUE 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 07210 
 
 ¶B. ASHGABAT 0161 
 ¶C. ASHGABAT 0330 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Following working-level meetings with 
counterparts at the Turkish International Development Agency (TIKA), 
USAID requested meetings on April 16-17 with two Deputy Ministers of 
Health and Medical Industry to identify possible joint USAID-TIKA 
cooperation activities in Turkmenistan.  In positive and productive 
meetings with two deputy ministers, avian influenza and maternal and 
child health were identified as areas of potential cooperation.  As 
a next step, Deputy Minister Orazov said he would submit a request 
to TIKA for avian influenza laboratory training in Turkey for 
Ministry of Health and Medical Industry (MOHMI) staff.  Following a 
separate meeting with Deputy Minister Kurban Elyasov on April 17, 
TIKA and USAID partner ZdravPlus agreed to meet with the Maternal 
and Child Health (MCH) Institute to determine specific parameters 
for joint activities.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MINISTRY RECEPTIVE TO PREMISE OF JOINT USAID-TIKA PROGRAMS 
 
¶3.  (SBU) As agreed in an April 3 working meeting between USAID and 
Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TIKA) staff in 
Turkmenistan, USAID submitted a letter to the MOHMI proposing joint 
a meeting between USAID's deputy ministerial counterparts, USAID and 
TIKA to discuss potential cooperation with the MOHMI.  The Ministry 
was receptive and initially agreed to a meeting on April 15.  Due to 
conflicts in scheduling both deputy ministers at the same time, 
however, separate meetings were arranged on April 16 and 17. 
 
PREVENTING AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) 
 
¶4.  (U) On April 16, Deputy Minister for Sanitary and 
Epidemiological Service (SES) Orazov indicated that the idea for 
establishing a laboratory to monitor avian influenza was his. 
Although WHO experts had advised that one national laboratory was 
preferable, Orazov still believed that a lab in Turkmenbashy was 
very much needed, especially due to the planned development of the 
Caspian coast via the Avaza tourist project.  In the meantime, 
support with publishing informational materials on avian influenza 
for the general population was very much needed.  Schools and 
schoolchildren were potential target recipients of a needed 
informational campaign. 
 
¶5.  (U) TIKA offered to organize a one-month training program in 
Turkey for veterinarians and/or laboratory specialists.  Three to 
four participants would be sent to Turkey for training and viewing 
Turkey's laboratory set-up.  After that, TIKA was prepared to send 
specialist(s) to Turkmenistan to assess the laboratory's equipment 
needs, which TIKA would consider funding.  Pleased with the 
potential new resources, Deputy Minster Orazov stated that the 
Ministry would submit a written request for this support to TIKA. 
 
MALARIA COOPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN BORDER ZONES? 
 
¶6.  (U) Before closing, Orazov inquired about potential USG 
financial support for malaria programs.  Although Turkmenistan is 
striving to be declared a malaria free country, Orazov has remained 
a vocal proponent of continuing Turkmenistan's fight against 
malaria.  He saw a risk in people traveling from Turkmenistan's 
northeastern province of Lebap into Afghanistan, where they become 
infected with malaria and bring it back when they return to 
Turkmenistan.  Orazov asked for USG resources to help construct a 
100 km malaria free zone along Turkmenistan's border with 
Afghanistan.  (NOTE: On April 18 at the Country Coordination 
Mechanism for malaria, this request was repeated.  The MOHMI also 
asked for USAID's assistance in organizing a malaria prevention 
meeting with health officials from Afghanistan. END NOTE.) 
 
SUPPORTING FAMILY MEDICINE TRAINING 
 
 
ASHGABAT 00000497  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶7.  (U) On April 17, representatives from USAID, USAID's 
principal health reform program, ZdravPlus, and TIKA met with Deputy 
Minister Kurban Elyasov.  Elyasov praised USAID's ongoing 
cooperation with the MOHMI and said that his biggest challenge was 
training staff.  In response to a question about possible equipment 
needs for MCH programs, Elyasov said that incubators for the Central 
Hospital or MCH Institute, as well as high-quality microscopes, 
would be welcomed.  TIKA inquired about the specifications and was 
advised that they could be obtained from local representatives of 
international firms. 
 
¶8.  (U) Noting that it had previously sent doctors to Turkey for 
training, TIKA also offered to organize one- or two-month training 
programs in Turkey for MCH and/or laboratory specialists.  MOHMI 
Department Head Beglich Ovezglychov said that equipment for MCH 
Institute, training in Turkey, laboratory training and microscopes 
were all priorities.  TIKA agreed to consult with Ankara on the 
range of possibilities, but considered a training program to be the 
probable first step.  With the Deputy Minister's permission -- USAID 
Country Representative proposed a meeting between ZdravPlus, TIKA 
and the MCH Institute's director in Ashgabat to further discuss how 
such cooperation might work.  Deputy Minister Elyasov gave his full 
blessing to the proposed approach and asked that the parties proceed 
accordingly, while reporting to Mr. Ovezglychov.  The parties agreed 
that the initial meeting with MCH Institute would take place during 
the week of April 21. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Both deputy ministers began by sharing their 
appreciation for the Ministry's long-standing constructive 
relationship with USAID.  Based on this, they welcomed the proposals 
for joint activities involving TIKA.  As the next step, post awaits 
a request for joint activities from MOHMI to TIKA on avian influenza 
laboratory training in Turkey.  USAID and TIKA will prepare a joint 
proposal on MCH activities after it meets with the MCH Institute 
director next week. 
 
¶10.  (U) COMMENT CONTINUED:  At this point, the MCH activities under 
consideration are closer to the joint activities originally 
envisioned in Reftel A.  That said, even if the avian influenza lab 
trainings take place as a stand-alone effort, USAID's introduction 
of TIKA to MOHMI has achieved a related goal of widening TIKA's 
involvement in donor efforts and will have attracted additional 
resources for Turkmenistan's health sector.  Additional 
opportunities for USAID cooperation with TIKA in the agricultural 
sector will be pursued in upcoming meetings planned with USAID, TIKA 
and USAID's partner, Winrock International.  END COMMENT. 
 
HOAGLAND