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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000565 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB 
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN 
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/THOMPSON 
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EPET PGOV EINV TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN HOLDS PIPELINE SECURITY CONFERENCE 
 
REF: ASHGABAT 462 
 
ASHGABAT 00000565  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On April 23-24, the Turkmen Government held a 
conference on "Reliable and Stable Transit of Energy and Its Role in 
Ensuring Sustainable Development and International Development." 
The conference was attended by and was designed to provide a forum 
for representatives of international organizations, governments, 
research institutes, and private businesses to discuss a wide 
spectrum of issues that may contribute to ensuring a more stable and 
secure transit of energy to the global market.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) President Berdimuhamedov opened the conference with a 
15-minute speech.  During the speech, Berdimuhamedov criticized the 
current system of international energy supplies, characterizing it 
as "one of the most vulnerable parts of the global economy" and 
noting that this vulnerability is caused by political instability, 
absence of internationally recognized regulations, inadequate 
infrastructure, and lopsided pipelines geography.  He spoke against 
the politicization of energy supply issues and using them as a tool 
for achieving political and corporate goals, warning that such 
methods will prove ineffective in the long-run.  President 
Berdimuhamedov proposed that the UN consider establishing an expert 
group that would work on developing international legal norms to 
regulate relations in the energy sector.  He also emphasized that 
the UN can play a crucial role in ensuring security, stability, and 
reliability of energy transit.  The President also emphasized that 
diversification of energy routes is one of the key elements of 
ensuring energy security. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Among other high-ranking speakers representing the 
international community were UN Under Secretary-General for Economic 
and Social Affairs, Sha Zukang, OSCE Secretary General, Mark Perren 
de Brishambo, Energy Charter Secretary General, Andre Mernier, 
Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), 
Khurshid Anwar, Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation 
Organization (SCO), Bolat Nurgaliyev, CIS Executive Secretary, 
Anatoly Dron, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Igor Sechin, 
ministers of energy of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern 
European countries.  The conference organizers also demonstrated a 
recorded video address by President of the European Commission, Jose 
Manuel Barroso.  Among Turkmen high-ranking speakers were Deputy 
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Tachberdi Tagyev, Director of 
the State Agency for Use and Management of Hydrocarbon Resources, 
Yagshygeldi Kakayev, and Chairman of Turkmengaz State Concern, 
Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov.  All the speakers were supportive of the 
idea that the international community should make concerted efforts 
to ensure a more reliable and stable transit of energy, although the 
approaches to achieving this goal proposed by the speakers differed 
depending on the interests of their respective countries or 
organizations. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Although there were three question and answer sessions in 
the agenda, the organizers cancelled all of them, because the 
conference was running behind schedule.  The conference concluded 
with the issuance of a declaration that emphasized the advisability 
of developing a multilateral document that would regulate issues 
arising from the relations in the energy sector and including a 
request to consider setting up an experts group that would work out 
recommendations on developing such a document. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT:  It was much anticipated that the Turkmen 
Government would address the continuing gas row with Gazprom 
(reftel) during the conference, but this issue was not mentioned 
directly by any of the speakers.  Still it should be noted that 
Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Igor Sechin, during his speech, 
passed to the conference organizers a draft model agreement on 
 
ASHGABAT 00000565  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
mitigating consequences of emergency situations along transit 
routes.  Although the draft agreement was not mentioned in the 
conference statement, it might be connected with the current gas 
stand-off between Turkmenistan and Gazprom. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED:  President Berdimuhammedov, during his 
speech at the conference, noted that diversification of hydrocarbon 
supplies to new regions is not only about commercial profits, but 
also is important for balancing the interests of all energy market 
players.  This statement might mean that Turkmenistan is open to 
cooperation with Europe in the energy sector, especially taking into 
account that the day before the conference, the European Parliament 
approved the long-pending Interim Trade Agreement with Turkmenistan, 
and the EU Ambassador residing in Almaty, Kazakhstan, presented his 
credentials to President Berdimuhamedov.  This is notable because, 
according to Turkmen protocol, ambassadors residing outside of 
Turkmenistan present their credentials to the Speaker of Parliament 
and not the President.  END COMMENT. 
 
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