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DE RUEHAH #0135/01 0271119
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 271119Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000135 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; DRL, EEB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PGOV PINR TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN:  BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON KEY NEW 
APPOINTEES 
 
REF: A. ASHGABAT 81 
     ¶B. ASHGABAT 114 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  During the past two weeks, President 
Berdimuhamedov has replaced 17 senior officials to include 
one Deputy Cabinet Minister, three ministers, the directors 
of five major state enterprises, one significant committee 
chair, heads of four security-related agencies, the head of 
the Supreme Control Chamber and a provincial governor. 
During a dramatic January 15 Cabinet of Ministers meeting, 
Berdimuhamedov fired a significant number of officials for 
"grave shortcomings in their work" during 2008, which locals 
say most often signals work-related corruption (ref A). 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The President also reprimanded some of those who 
managed to hold on to their positions, including Deputy 
Chairman for Oil and Gas Tagiyev.  The television broadcast 
showed the President admonishing some officials and then 
firing some, who he then told to leave the room.  Local 
residents opined that the President appeared to be especially 
insulting and demeaning, using a tone reminiscent of the 
Niyazov era.  The camera followed almost all of the fired 
officials as they trudged to the exit, a practice not seen 
before on state television.  On January 21, during a National 
Security Council meeting, the president appointed new heads 
for all the security-related agencies except for the 
Ministries of National Security and Internal Affairs (ref B). 
 Post gathered the following biographic information about 
some of the newly-appointed officials. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Tuvakmammed JAPAROV, Deputy Chairman for Economy 
and Finance, Cabinet of Ministers.  Born in 1967 in Uzynsuw 
village in Bereket, Balkan province.  Japarov graduated in 
1993 from the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute, although he had 
begun his higher education at the Moscow Construction 
Engineering Institute.  He majored in mechanical engineering. 
 He worked from 1984-1987 as a mechanic in the auto transport 
division at the Turkmennebit oil enterprise in Balkanabat. 
From 1993-1999 after completing compulsory military duty and 
his studies at the institutes, he became chairman of the 
Yardam joint stock company in Balkanabat.  He also worked as 
an accountant at the Balkan Oil and Gas Construction Trust 
and as an inspector for the State Tax Service in Balkan, 
later becoming the head of the State Tax Service in Balkan. 
From 1999-2005 he worked as Chief Specialist in the Cabinet 
of Ministers, handling income and expenditure issues 
connected to the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the 
State Tax Service.  From 2005-2007 Japarov held the post of 
Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, then in early 2007 he 
was named First Deputy Minister.  In November 2007 he was 
appointed Chairman of the Supreme Auditing Chamber. (NOTE: 
As Supreme Auditing Chamber chairman, Japarov supported 
cooperation with USAID and implementing partner Bearing Point 
that placed a public sector audit and accounting advisor in 
the Chamber's offices.  The advisor spent two months there 
providing training to chamber staff on audit standards 
financial and performance audits, and prepared a capacity 
development plan for the office. END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  (U)  Orazdurdy HAJYMURADOV, Director of Turkmen Oil State 
Concern.  Born in 1949 in Gyzylbayyr village of Etrek 
district in Balkan.  Hajymuradov graduated from the Turkmen 
Polytechnical Institute in 1971, majoring in the technology 
and mechanization of oil and gas field development.  From 
1971-1979 he held various positions, first in a drilling 
office in Guyjik, then in an offshore drilling office in 
Cheleken.  From 1984-1997 he worked in Turkmennebit's 
Goturdepe drilling department.  From 1997-1998 he was the 
chief engineer of a well maintenance department in 
 
ASHGABAT 00000135  002 OF 003 
 
 
Turkmennebit.  From 1998-2007 he served first as chief of 
Burnebitgaz enterprise, then chief of 
Nebitgazduypliabadanlayysh, an oil and gas initial field 
development enterprise, then became chief of a drilling 
office in Nebitdag city.  From 2007 until his January 
appointment as Chairman of the Turkmen Oil Concern, he was 
director of an oil and gas field development institute 
("Nebitgazduypliabadanlayysh"). 
 
¶6.  (U)  Yarmuhammet ORAZGULYEV, Minister of Energy and 
Industry.  Born in 1960, in Ahal village of Gokdepe district 
in Ahal province, Orazgulyev graduated from the Turkmen 
Polytechnical Institute in 1982 with a major in electrical 
engineering.  After his graduation he worked for two years as 
the manager of an electricity substation of the Kerpichli gas 
extraction department in the joint venture TurkmenGazprom. 
Before 1995 he was senior engineer of the technical 
production department of the Goktepe enterprise 
Etrapobaenergo, then chief engineer for a contruction 
materials enterprise.  He then became chief engineer at the 
Ahalsuwhojalyk water management enterprise.  From 2003-2006 
he worked as chief power engineer in the Obasuwhyzmat energy 
administration, the Ahalbatlayyshsuwhojalyk water supply and 
pipeline maintenance enterprise, the Gokdepesuwhojalyk water 
management enterprise, then was made director of the Geoktepe 
district electricity network.  Before the end of 2006 he was 
appointed Chief Engineer of the Dowletenergogozegchilik 
(state energy management) enterprise within Turkmenenergo. 
In May 2006 President Niyazov appointed him First Deputy 
Minister of Energy and Industry and Chairman of Turkmenenergo 
Corporation.  He may have been relieved of this position 
after Berdimuhamedov came into office.  In May 2007, he was 
appointed First Deputy Minister and Turkmenenergo Chairman 
once again, where he remained until September 2007.  He was 
then appointed Deputy Minister of Energy and Industry of 
Turkmenistan, where he remained until his appointment as 
Minister in January 2009. 
 
¶7.  (U)  Ovlyaguly JUMAGULYEV, Ministry of Communication. 
Born in 1955 in Ersarybaba village in Lebap province.  He 
graduated in 1977 from the Tashkent Electro-Technical 
Institute with a major in communications engineering.  From 
1978-1993 he worked first at the Turkmenaragatnashyk 
communications enterprise in Turkmenabat city, became chief 
of a line and technical division for the Karabekaul district 
communications system, then was named chief engineer of the 
Agropromenergo enterprise.  From 1993-2004 he headed an 
industrial electricity network division for the local 
government in Lamma.  He was named manager of the Karabekaul 
communications network, then was appointed deputy director of 
the same network.  From 2004-2009 he served as director of 
the Lebaptelecom provincial telephone enterprise. 
 
¶8.  (U)  Aynabat BABAYEVA, Chairman of State Joint Stock 
Corporation Turkmenhaly (Turkmen Carpet).  Born in 1966 in 
Ashgabat, Babayeva graduated from the Turkmen Institute of 
Economy and Management, having majored in economics.  In 1984 
she worked as a records clerk in the Ashgabat committee of 
the Communist Party.  After graduation from the institute, 
she worked as a chief specialist in the economic department 
of the Ministry of Grain Products (now Grain Association) 
from 1990-1994.  From 1994-2002 Babayeva served as a leading 
specialist, then deputy manager, manager of a non-food 
products division, and later chief of a products, services 
and internal market coordination division in the Ministry of 
Trade and Foreign Economic Relations.  From 2002-2009 she was 
the chief of a sewing division in the Ministry of Textile 
Industry. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Gurbanmammet ELYASOV, Chairman of the State 
Tourism and Sports Committee.  Before 2007 Elyasov was 
 
ASHGABAT 00000135  003 OF 003 
 
 
Director of the Treatment and Consultative Center named after 
Niyazov in the Ministry of Health and Pharmaceutical 
Industry.  In March 2007 he was named Deputy Minister for 
Health and Pharmaceutical Industry responsible for the 
organization of treatment and preventative assistance. 
(NOTE:  While Deputy Minister, Elyasov was supportive of 
USAID projects.  The Tourism and Sports Committee has 
significant responsibilities in making the Avaza National 
Tourist Zone a reality.  END NOTE.) 
MILES