VZCZCXRO6779
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #1648/01 3650949
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 300949Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2039
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4618
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2422
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2287
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2866
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3167

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001648 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR GERARD AND FREITAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL EAGR SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: USDA ENGLISH PROGRAM OPENS DOORS AT 
AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY 
 
REF: ASHGABAT 787 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Rector of Turkmenistan's Agriculture 
University and the head of International Relations at the 
Ministry of Agriculture said they welcome additional USDA 
support for English classes and that they are willing to 
consider U.S.-supported economics courses.  They look forward 
to the visit of a U.S. professor in late January or early 
February as part of USDA's Faculty Exchange Program.  The 
Turkmen officials listed a variety of issues about which they 
would welcome information and assistance from the United 
States, especially additional English courses.  The hiring of 
73 new, young instructors across all disciplines indicates a 
push to inject new energy and fresh expertise into the 
University's program.  This is a good relationship with 
potential to grow, but will probably progress through a 
process of negotiation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) After post submitted a request for a meeting on 
November 17, on December 19 Agriculture University Rector, 
Gurbandurdy Mammetgulev, and Ministry of Agriculture 
International Relations head, Shammy Annamyradov, met with 
econoff to discuss the development of the English Language 
Teaching program sponsored by the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).  (NOTE:  Post and USDA came up with the 
idea of an English program to help prepare candidates for the 
Faculty Exchange Program in Agricultural Economics, after 
observing that Turkmenistan did not have any eligible 
candidates due to the lack of English language skills as well 
as an understanding of Western economics principles (reftel). 
 END NOTE.)  Mammetgulev could not predict if some 
instructors were becoming adequately prepared to participate 
in the Faculty Exchange Program, saying that "time will tell." 
 
FEEDBACK ON CONCEPT OF AN ECONOMICS COURSE 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Following up on the possibility of offering an 
economics course that would work towards bridging the 
knowledge gap in that field (reftel), Mammetgulev and 
Annamyradov agreed in principle to a U.S.-sponsored economics 
courses at the university.  Post is acquainted with a U.S. 
citizen based in Turkmenistan who would be qualified to teach 
such a course.  Mammetgulev and Annamyradov requested a 
meeting with this person before making any decisions about 
whether or not they would agree to offer such a course.  They 
understood that post has not identified funding for such a 
program yet. 
 
FEEDBACK ON OFFERED VISIT OF UN-R PROFESSOR 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Mammetgulev and Annamyradov welcomed a visit by 
Stan Johnson of the University of Nevada-Reno as part of the 
USDA Faculty Exchange Program (reftel).  They made two 
suggestions regarding timing:  (1) If Johnson would like to 
meet with students, they recommend that he come sometime 
after February 2, and (2)The date of the students' return 
from winter break.  (NOTE:  They also requested that his 
visit not start on February 2 because that is the students' 
first day back.  They prefer to let the students settle in 
before Johnson's visit.  END NOTE.)  If Johnson's visit would 
be geared towards instructors, they recommended that the 
visit take place during the previous two weeks, January 
19-30.  Mammetgulev and Annamyradov requested a list of 
Johnson's areas of specialization. 
 
WHAT THE TURKMEN ARE INTERESTED IN 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Mammetgulev and Annamyradov then named various 
issues that they are interested in, including new growing 
methods, amelioration of soil and, without going into 
 
ASHGABAT 00001648  002 OF 002 
 
 
specifics, hygiene.  They also mentioned that they would like 
to come to a greater understanding of the question "How does 
four percent of the U.S. population feed the entire country?" 
 They noted that they are ready at any time to provide 
classroom space and students for additional English classes. 
Annamyradov reiterated a previous issue that they had raised 
about the Faculty Exchange Program -- that their faculty 
would not leave their families to study abroad for longer 
than three months at the very most.  In addition, Mammetgulev 
and Annamyradov mentioned that the university hired 73 new, 
young instructors across all specialties at the beginning of 
the school year.  (COMMENT:  Mammetgulev and Annamyradov said 
at the meeting in June that they feared that they didn't have 
any qualified economists to take part in the Faculty Exchange 
Program and emphasized their desire to send young instructors 
on the program.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  This relationship shows very positive 
signs because of the warmth as well as the give and take in 
evidence at this meeting.  It will take some negotiation to 
find a solution acceptable to both sides regarding the issue 
of the length of the Faculty Exchange Program.  Post awaits 
USDA's feedback on timing for Johnson's visit and a list of 
topics and interlocutors.  END COMMENT. 
MILES