VZCZCXRO5981
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0688/01 1501325
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291325Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0909
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3843
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1661
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1528
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2097
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0770
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 2567
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 03 ASHGABAT 000688 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BOUCHER MEETS OFFICIALS ON 
DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND EDUCATION 
 
REF: A. A. 2007 ASHGABAT 0885 
     ¶B. B. ASHGABAT 0647 
     ¶C. C. ASHGABAT 0206 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On May 28, Assistant Secretary Richard 
Boucher had separate meetings focusing on Democracy/Human 
Rights and Education.  In the meeting with the Institute for 
Democracy and Human Rights, Institute Director Shirin 
Akhmedova detailed the Institute's role in helping 
Turkmenistan to meet its international human rights 
obligations and its many projects with international 
partners.  She said the Institute is working closely with the 
parliament on constitutional reform and preparation of the 
December 2008 parliamentary elections.  Akhmedova said the 
Central Election Commission has authorized Institute 
personnel to monitor elections around the country.  The 
meeting with Deputy Chairman for Education, Health, and 
Science Hydyr Saparlyev and Education Minister Muhammetgeldi 
Annaamanov focused on both basic and higher education. 
Saparlyev spoke positively about blossoming cooperation with 
Columbia University and Texas A&M University.  He was 
noncommittal about the Turkmenistan adopting a 
"Bolashak-type" program, saying it was "one option."  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  On May 28, Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher met 
with Shirin Akhmedova, Director of the Institute for 
Democracy and Human Rights.  Akhmedova described the 
Institute's structure, goals and mission, and noted its key 
role in the reform process now underway in Turkmenistan. 
With the Institute's guidance and participation, the 
government established the Human Rights Commission in August 
2007 (ref A), the State Commission on Legislative Reform in 
November 2007 and the Constitutional Commission in April 
¶2008.  The Institute also was continuing to work closely with 
the parliament on issues such as reform of the family code, 
preparation for the December 2008 parliamentary elections, 
and revision of the constitution. 
 
MANY INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Akhmedova underscored the Institute's central role 
in making sure Turkmenistan meets its international human 
rights commitments and talked about the many projects it is 
doing with international partners (Ref B).  The UN 
Development Program is helping them develop a reporting 
capacity, and United Nations Children's Fund is helping them 
reform the juvenile justice system.  Another project with the 
UN that will begin in October 2008 will be designed to 
strengthen the country's capacity to protect human rights. 
She also described the Institute's work with EU/TACIS, to 
include a recently completed commercial arbitrage seminar. 
She also described cooperation with USAID (Ref C), to include 
work revising legislation on non-governmental organizations, 
legal regulation of the media (through Internews Network), 
and reform of the religion law.  She also mentioned that 
ABA/CEELI was continuing to work with the Institute on a 
project to improve computer literacy for institute staff, and 
along with the UN, was developing an international legal 
resource center at the Institute. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Assistant Secretary Boucher noted the wide variety 
of international partners, and asked if the Institute worked 
with any international human rights organizations.  Akhmedova 
said the Institute had not worked with any of them, since it 
had not received any concrete proposals for cooperation from 
them.  She did, however, describe an invitation she and other 
government officials had received from the British embassy 
for a human rights-related study trip to London July 5-12 
that is to include meetings with human rights organization 
representatives.  she also noted one of her staff members was 
 
ASHGABAT 00000688  002 OF 003 
 
 
currently in the United Sates on an International Visitors 
Program focused on human rights. 
 
PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  When asked about Turkmen non-governmental 
organizations, Akhmedova said there were about 200 such 
registered organizations operating in Turkmenistan that 
engage in issues related to human rights and social welfare. 
Representatives of these groups are invited to many 
Institute-sponsored events.  As an example, she noted the 
Institute's work with a society for disabled citizens, which 
is assisting it with fulfillment of Turkmenistan's 
obligations regarding the UN Convention on the Disabled. 
 
ELECTION REFORM 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The Institute holds national election observer 
status, and the Central Election Commission has authorized 
Institute personnel to monitor elections around the country. 
When asked about the direction in which the Institute wants 
to focus electoral reform, Akhmedova said the focus was 
upward, toward senior levels of government.  The Institute is 
working with UN Development Program on a project designed to 
build capacity within the Central Election Commission, and 
the EU is sponsoring additional work.  Akhmedova added that 
the revised constitution will also introduce numerous changes 
to the electoral process. 
 
BASIC EDUCATION 
 
¶8. (SBU)   The meeting with Deputy Chairman for Education, 
Health, and Science Hydyr Saparlyev and Education Minister 
Muhammetgeldi Annaamanov on May 28 was cordial.  Saparlyev 
detailed plans for building new schools and outfitting them 
with computers.  He also emphasized efforts to modernize the 
curricula for schools and update textbooks, reduce teacher's 
workloads and classroom sizes.  Saparlyev said curriculum 
development was an ongoing process that required frequent 
updates.  Saparlyev had little comment when Boucher raised 
curricula reform, writing of new textbooks, and the "one 
laptop per child" program.   When Boucher mentioned the 
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study program 
sponsored by USAID, Saparlyev said the government was 
reviewing and examining their teaching of various subjects. 
 
HIGHER EDUCATION 
 
¶9. (SBU) Regarding the subject of a possible government 
scholarship program, Saparlyev noted that it was one option 
and cited the examples of foreign companies or programs that 
take students to Russia, Turkey, China, and other countries. 
He estimated that there are 5,000 slots available for 
students in Turkmen Universities, with plans to expand to 
50,000 in the coming years. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Saparlyev spoke in positive terms regarding 
developing cooperation with Columbia University or Texas A&M 
University.  He admitted, however, that the government needed 
to recognize degrees from private universities in the region 
(American University of Central Asia and Kazakhstan's 
International Management, Economics and Strategic Planning 
University) - a small but significant signal that the 
government is not automatically against such programs. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Saparlyev expressed his appreciation for Assistant 
Secretary Boucher's emphasis on education.  He also explained 
that the government of Turkmenistan would examine any 
proposals in education "with pleasure." 
 
¶12.  (SBU) COMMENT: The Institute for Democracy and Human 
Rights' energetic director showed why so many international 
partners are willing to work with her.  Enthusiastic about 
 
ASHGABAT 00000688  003 OF 003 
 
 
her organization's role and the possibilities, she is one of 
the most forward leaning of Turkmen officials.  While 
Saparlyev was quite supportive of educational exchanges, he 
was non-committal on a "Bolashak-type" program.  In addition, 
he was not overly enthusiastic to the idea of cooperation on 
some areas of basic education.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶13.  (U) Assistant Secretary Boucher has cleared this cable. 
HOAGLAND