VZCZCXRO5822
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHAH #0134/01 0271117
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271117Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2208
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4748
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2544
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2409
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2996
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 3277

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000134 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, OES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAGR ENRG EPET SENV TX AORC
SUBJECT: UNDP HELPS TURKMENISTAN DEVELOP CLIMATE CHANGE 
POLICY 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  United Nations Development Program (UNDP) 
recently facilitated an inter-ministerial dialogue on climate 
change, aimed at helping Turkmenistan develop an official 
position on the issue.  UNDP hoped to gain a commitment from 
Turkmenistan that it would identify priorities in its climate 
change policy.  During the inter-ministerial meeting -- 
organized at the initiative of Turkmenistan -- it was decided 
that electroenergy and the oil and gas sector were priorities 
on the mitigation side, and water -- in light of 
Turkmenistan's heavy use of irrigation methods in farming -- 
on the adaptation side.  UNDP observed that participation 
came from a high level and from across a wide variety of 
ministries and agencies.  Turkmenistan's liabilities in 
dealing with a global climate change mechanism are a lack of 
real negotiation experience and the lack of a "vocal regional 
organization."  The UNDP representatives said Turkmenistan's 
per capita energy usage is high, and that they enjoy support 
from the highest levels of the government to help 
Turkmenistan develop a national climate change policy.  A 
test of that support will involve whether the Turkmen 
government, notoriously reluctant to share any statistics, 
will allow international experts to measure emissions.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
A FORUM TO DISCUSS NATIONAL POLICY ON CLIMATE CHANGE 
 
¶3.  (SBU) On January 23, UNDP held a read-out meeting for the 
donor community about the inter-ministerial dialogue it 
organized on climate change, which took place in Ashgabat on 
January 21-22.  UNDP briefers were Environment and Energy 
Programme Analyst, Anna Kaplina, and Regional Technical 
Advisor for Climate Change Adaptation for Europe and 
Commonwealth of Independent States, Keti Chachibaia, from 
UNDP's Bratislava office, and National Programme Officer for 
Environment and Energy, Rovshen Nurnmuhamedov, from UNDP's 
Ashgabat office.  UNDP organized the inter-ministerial 
meetings as part of the UNDP Bureau for Development 
Policy/Environment and Energy Group project that aims to 
strengthen developing countries' capacity to develop policy 
options for addressing climate change across sectors.  This 
process will provide inputs to negotiating positions for 
conventions, such as the Kyoto Protocol or other agreements 
that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. 
 Nurnmuhamedov said that the inter-ministerial provided a 
forum to discuss Turkmenistan's position on climate change in 
advance from the next UN Climate Change Conference of Parties 
meeting (COP 15), which will take place in Copenhagen on 
December 7-18, 2009, as well as to obtain a commitment from 
Turkmenistan that it will identify priorities in its climate 
change policy and move toward implementing mechanisms. 
 
TURKMENISTAN IDENTIFIED KEY SECTORS FOR PROJECTS 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Kaplina stated that Turkmenistan was one of 19 
countries that approached UNDP at a previous COP for 
assistance with addressing clQate change.  Kaplina added 
that UNDP did not approach countries with offers of 
assistance, and that countries needed to approach UNDP. 
Turkmenistan decided during the inter-ministerial that 
electroenergy and the oil and gas sector were priorities on 
the mitigation side, and water -- in light of Turkmenistan's 
heavy use of irrigation methods in farming -- on the 
adaptation side. 
 
PARTICIPATION FROM HIGH LEVELS AND WIDE RANGE OF AGENCIES 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The UNDP representatives noted that key ministers 
attended the opening of the meeting.  High-ranking officials 
such as department heads from non-essential stakeholder 
ministries and agencies such as the State Committee on 
Statistics, Ministry of Education, and the Institute of 
Strategic Planning and Economic Development also attended. 
 
ASHGABAT 00000134  002 OF 003 
 
 
Project participants submitted a set of recommendations at 
the conclusion of the meeting.  UNDP felt that this high 
level of engagement was an indication of the importance that 
the Turkmen government places on climate change policy. 
 
TURKMENISTAN LACKS NEGOTIATION EXPERIENCE 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The UNDP representatives also said that they 
discussed with GOTX participants the financial incentives of 
involvement in various climate change mechanisms, such as 
carbon finance.  UNDP wants countries to understand how to 
position themselves for negotiations in the post-Kyoto 
Protocol period.  Kaplina and Chachibaia said that 
Turkmenistan's particular liabilities are a lack of real 
negotiation experience at this level, and the lack of a 
"vocal regional organization."  While Turkmenistan in 
comparison to countries such as Brazil is not at risk for 
becoming one of the world's highest carbon emitters, Kaplina 
and Chachibaia said they would like Turkmenistan to take 
responsibility for reducing emissions in the oil and gas 
sector and said that Turkmenistan should be aware at the very 
least of the benefits of various mechanisms. 
 
NEXT STEPS:  METHODOLOGICAL ANALYSIS 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Next steps include a nine-month assessment phase, 
during which international consultants will run training 
programs in-country on climate change mitigation.  Kaplina 
and Chachibaia expect that this work will generate 
methodological analysis.  In addition, Turkmenistan is in the 
process of developing the Second Communication on Climate 
Change, which is supposed to be completed by May, but in all 
likelihood won't wrap up until the end of 2009.  Kaplina and 
Chachibaia said that that all of Central Asia -- including 
Turkmenistan -- is vulnerable to falling far behind other 
countries in climate change work because acknowledgement of 
the need for and concrete steps towards climate change 
projects have not taken place at the national level.  In 
addition, per capita energy usage is high -- in fact, Central 
Asian per capita energy usage is higher than in Brazil and 
China.  UNDP recommended that Turkmenistan develop synergies 
between the Montreal Protocol, the Kyoto Protocol, and a 
post-2012 framework. 
 
WHAT ARE THE CHANCES -- REALISTICALLY? 
 
¶8.  (SBU) UNDP staff were optimistic that Turkmenistan will 
continue to address climate change and in time will consider 
mechanisms.  Kaplina and Chachibaia said that there is 
increasing interest in and awareness of projects among 
Turkmengas staff, with support of top management.  Deputy 
Resident Representative of UNDP in Turkmenistan, Inita 
Paulovica, said that the Ministry of Nature Protection will 
soon establish a National Designated Authority, who will 
serve as a point person for carbon finance projects.  She 
mentioned that UNDP had hoped that Turkmenistan would have 
identified a National Designated Authority last year.  UNDP 
is in the process of organizing a delegation comprised of 
international and regional advisors for this purpose -- at 
the request of Deputy Chairman for Foreign Affairs Rashit 
Meredov -- which will make Turkmenistan eligible for carbon 
finance projects.  Paulovica predicts that this will also 
facilitate endorsement of a national climate change policy by 
Turkmenistan's Cabinet of Ministers. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The process of getting Turkmenistan to 
develop a national policy for climate change reflects the 
challenges of cooperating with Turkmenistan more generally: 
lack of experience, lack of knowledge, and a preference for 
working with multilateral organizations.  Paulovica 
emphasized Deputy Chairman Meredov's support for developing a 
climate change policy, but the rubber will meet the road once 
international experts request hard data from the government. 
Kaplina and Chachibaia already know -- without statistics -- 
 
ASHGABAT 00000134  003 OF 003 
 
 
that Turkmenistan's per capita energy usage is higher than 
the highest per capita usage countries in the world. 
Turkmenistan is well-known for its reluctance to share 
statistics, so supplying -- what will be for Turkmenistan -- 
"embarrassing" information to the UN will be painful.  END 
COMMENT. 
MILES