VZCZCXRO3696
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1648/01 3570657
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 230657Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3947
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 6036
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 3730
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3589
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4278
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001648 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL/AAE BUHLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PGOV SNAR SOCI TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: UNODC LAW ENFORCEMENT MEETING 
 
ASHGABAT 00001648  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U)  Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 
(UNODC) in Ashgabat held its last 2009 law enforcement coordination 
meeting on December 18th.  Ministries and agencies members of the 
National Drug Control Committee from the Cabinet of Ministers of the 
Government of Turkmenistan (GOTX) were present, together with the 
representatives of diplomatic missions and international 
organizations.  GOTX and diplomatic corps representatives delivered 
presentations on law enforcement and anti-narcotics activities 
conducted throughout the past year.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) At the invitation of UNODC, an INL Locally Employed Staff 
member attended the UNODC-sponsored Law Enforcement Coordination 
meeting on December 18th.  Over 40 representatives from GOTX 
agencies, diplomatic corps members and officers of international 
organizations were present at the meeting.  The meeting was chaired 
by UNODC International Project Coordinator, Mr. Ercan Saka.  He 
stated, in his opening remarks that such meetings are held regularly 
according to the Turkmen National Anti-Drug Strategy for 2006-2010, 
and are fully supported by the Turkmen National Drug Control 
Committee. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Government of Turkmenistan representatives were headed 
by Mr. Gurban Torayev, Deputy Chairman of the National Drug Control 
Committee at the Cabinet of Ministers as well as the Head of the 
Department for the Analysis of Law Enforcement and Military 
Organizations' Activities under the direction of the President of 
Turkmenistan.  In addition, National Committee member organizations 
were present at the Deputy Minister level including the Ministry of 
Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of National Security, State 
Border Service, State Customs Service, State Migration Service and 
State Counter Narcotics Service (SCNS).  Most of the diplomatic 
missions in Ashgabat were present at the meeting including Afghan, 
Azeri, Armenian, Kazakh, Georgian, Pakistani, Indian, Polish, 
Ukrainian, Tajik, Uzbek, Japanese, Iranian, Turkish, Korean and 
British.  Among International Organizations, Ambassador Zekolli 
represented the OSCE Center, the UN Regional Center for Preventive 
Diplomacy (UNRCCA) sent a Political Officer, and the EU-funded TACIS 
and BOMCA/CADAP (Border Management and Drug Action Programs in 
Central Asia) Programs were attended by their Deputy Managers. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The GOTX's head rep, Mr. Torayev, mentioned that 2009 was 
very fruitful for Turkmenistan's counternarcotics efforts.  He added 
that Turkmenistan actively worked on existing international treaties 
and joined the new ones, which - were not specified.  Torayev 
proudly announced that the GOTX will be approving UNODC's Border 
Crossing Project in Farap on the Uzbek border in the upcoming week. 
He stressed that prices for illegal drugs have increased in the past 
year, which, he added, was obviously due to the high seizures in the 
result of the active work done by the law enforcements.  He also 
reported that the updated drug seizures statistics for 2009 would be 
available in early January 2010. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The Head of International Relations Department of the 
State Counter Narcotics Service (SCNS), Gulnabat Baylyeva mentioned 
that the Turkmen SCNS participated in 44 UNODC training sessions in 
2009, with 26 of the sessions held in Turkmenistan and 18 abroad. 
She also thanked UNODC for donating vehicles equipped with precursor 
testing equipment.  Other presenters were: UNODC's National Project 
Analyst's on the Regional Opium and Precursor's Production; UNRCCA's 
Political Officer on the opening of CARRICC project; BOMCA/CADAP's 
Deputy Manager on Preventive measures and reforms in penitentiary 
system; and a Turkish Embassy rep's presentation on Turkish law 
enforcement/counternarcotics projects.  Post's INL rep reported on 
INL's activities conducted throughout the year. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT:  The UNODC law enforcement coordination meetings 
serve as fora at which diplomatic corps and Turkmen government 
officials can, in theory,  share ideas and hold discussions on 
issues involving Turkmenistan's efforts to combat narcotic 
 
ASHGABAT 00001648  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
trafficking.  At the same time, GOTX officials tend to report 
successes only, refusing to admit that there is room for 
improvement.  In addition, when GOTX officials are asked questions, 
they seem careful to stick to approved talking points, especially 
with foreign diplomats around.  END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN