VZCZCXRO1609
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1267 2781002
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051002Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3575
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5753
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3465
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3329
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3996
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3973

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001267 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL OSCE TX
SUBJECT: OSCE CENTER HIGHLIGHTS POSITIVE COOPERATION WITH 
TURKMEN GOVERNMENT 
 
¶1. (SBU) On October 1, the Head of the OSCE Center in 
Ashgabat, Ambassador Arsim Zekolli, briefed representatives 
of OSCE-member country embassies on the activities of the 
Center during the past year.  The briefing was based on 
Zekolli's Report to the OSCE Permanent Council on September 
3, but also included presentations by OSCE staff responsible 
for implementation of projects in the Center's three main 
areas of activity.  In his overall assessment, Zekolli noted 
the Center's increasingly positive cooperation with the 
Turkmen government, in both its quantitative and qualitative 
aspects.  Quantitatively, the number of projects and events 
has increased.  Qualitatively, the Turkmen government is more 
actively engaged in OSCE projects and the projects themselves 
have more scope and depth.  Zekolli was positive about 
prospects for further cooperation, citing the following 
factors: an increased number of meetings for OSCE staff with 
government officials; a greater interest by the Turkmen 
government in international contacts, including with 
international organizations; and more openness on the part of 
the Turkmen government to consider proposals for OSCE 
activities involving ideas that to date have not circulated 
in the country.  The Center has proposed 30 projects for 
2010, subject government approval.  This would be an increase 
over the 28 projects approved for 2009, which for the first 
time included areas such as media and penitentiary reform. 
Zekolli mentioned that the Turkmen ambassador to the OSCE, in 
his response to the Report, had expressed the Turkmen 
government's willingness to continue carrying out reforms, 
and that the OSCE assured the government of its willingness 
to continue cooperation along that path. 
 
¶2. (SBU) In the political-military dimension, the Center has 
focused on border security/management and anti-drug 
trafficking projects.  Two projects have involved joint 
training of Turkmen and Afghan customs officials.  In the 
economic-environmental dimension, emphasis has been on 
supporting a market-driven agriculture sector and the 
economic use of water resources.  In the human dimension, in 
addition to providing legal consultations to 250 individuals, 
the Center carried out projects in penitentiary reform, 
anti-trafficking in persons, and support for legal reform and 
rule of law. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Throughout the briefing, Kazakh Ambassador to 
Turkmenistan Askhat Orazbay, as representative of the 
incoming OSCE chairmanship, sat next to Zekolli at the head 
table.  Commenting on the Kazakh chairmanship, Zekolli 
emphasized its importance for the entire Central Asian region 
and said its chairmanship was awaited with "impatience."  The 
Kazakh ambassador remarked that if will be easier for the 
OSCE Center in Ashgabat to do its work when the 
chairperson-in-office (CiO) has an embassy in country.  He 
noted that it is special to have a Central Asian country as 
CiO and that as CiO, the Kazakhs will work to achieve the 
goals and objectives set forth for Turkmenistan.  Orazbay 
added that Kazakhstan considers itself the "collective 
candidate" from Central Asia and will take the 
recommendations of its neighbors into consideration. 
 
¶4. (SBU) COMMENT:  It remains to be seen what, if any, 
difference it makes to the OSCE's program in Turkmenistan 
that the OSCE CiO will be Turkmenistan's neighbor.  That many 
of the issues that the OSCE seeks to address in Turkmenistan, 
such as legal and market reform, democratic institution 
building and border control, are "internal matters" raises 
the question of how much the Kazakhs would be willing to 
irritate the Turkmen and risk their bilateral relationship in 
order to advance the OSCE agenda.  END COMMENT. 
CURRAN