VZCZCXRO0160
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #0004/01 0041228
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041228Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3997
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6069
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3763
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3622
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4311
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1369
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4248

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000004 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB; 
STATE FOR EEB/CBA - DWINSTEAD 
COMMERCE FOR DSTARKS/EHOUSE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP ECON EINV ETRD BTIO TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: 2010 BFIF PROPOSAL 
 
REF: A. STATE 126674 
     ¶B. STATE 124006 
 
ASHGABAT 00000004  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Brief Justification for Project 1 -- Trade Show.  Embassy 
Ashgabat would like to assist Turkmen business people to 
attend a trade show in the United States in May 2010 by 
sending a locally engaged Embassy staff person (LES) as a 
trade show facilitator.  The concept of entrepreneurship is 
still fairly new in Turkmenistan, but since the country 
became independent in 1991, some private entrepreneurs have 
emerged.  When post met with local business people during an 
Embassy-sponsored roundtable in December 2009 (as suggested 
per ref B), roundtable participants were enthusiastic to know 
that participation in trade shows in the United States with 
the help of Embassy staff was possible. 
 
¶2. Expected Impact -- Having an Embassy staff member 
accompany a group of Turkmen restaurateurs and hotel owners 
to the United States would be a significant increase in our 
non-governmental commercial outreach efforts.  To date, 
Turkmen business people have expressed interest in the 
National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show 
to be held in Chicago, Illinois May 22-25, 2010.  In addition 
to future trade show opportunities, we are hopeful that this 
trade show would result in more business for U.S. firms, 
which possess high-tech goods and services that are in high 
demand in Turkmenistan. 
 
¶3.  Planning milestones 
 
January 11 -- Begin engaging with Turkmen restaurateurs and 
hotel owners in all five regions of the country to elicit 
interest in participation. 
 
February 11 -- Narrow interested business people to 4-5 
participants. 
 
March 11 -- Create a list of participants and select 
Economic/Commercial Assistant from U.S. Embassy Ashgabat to 
accompany the group. 
 
April 11 -- Finalize trade show registration, travel plans 
and accommodations (funds needed at this time). 
 
May 22-25 -- Trade show takes place. 
 
¶4.  Estimated Costs for facilitator's travel 
 
Roundtrip Airline ticket from Ashgabat to Chicago (economy 
class) -- @ $2,180.66 
 
Lodging and per diem in Chicago -- @ $850 
 
Estimated Total -- @ $3,030.66 
 
¶5.  Points of Contact: (FSO) Patrick Slowinski -- 
slowinskipt@state.gov, (LES) Aleksey Sopiyev -- 
SopiyevAO@state.gov 
 
¶6.  Brief Justification for Project 2 -- Shadow Training in 
Almaty for Post's Commercial Officer .  Embassy Ashgabat 
would like to send its Economic-Commercial Officer to U.S. 
Consulate General in Almaty, Kazakhstan for a two to 
three-day shadow training experience in order to observe 
Almaty's Foreign Commercial Service office and activities. 
The shadow training will allow Embassy Ashgabat's Commercial 
Officer to view first-hand how an FCS office and the FCO 
choose and implement programs, how LES responsibilities and 
assignments are shared and assigned, how FCS services are 
provided, and how the FCS staff interact with U.S. 
businesses.  Since Ashgabat does not have official FCS 
 
ASHGABAT 00000004  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
representation, this visit will also serve as a means for 
fostering a productive partnership between the FCS Office in 
Almaty and Embassy Ashgabat. 
 
¶7.  Expected Impact -- As Embassy Ashgabat increases its 
commercial activities and continues to pursue an opportunity 
to become a Foreign Commercial Service partner post, this 
shadow training is particularly valuable.  Post expects that 
seeing FCS operations first-hand will result in similar 
programs and services at Embassy Ashgabat.  The shadow 
training experience will also allow Embassy Ashgabat LES, who 
assist with commercial inquiries, to receive informed 
guidance on best practices for program implementation from 
their FSO supervisor following the shadow training. 
 
¶8.  Planning milestones 
 
January 15 -- Select appropriate week for the shadow 
training.  According to Almaty's FCO, Post will be notified 
of the most productive times for the office in order to 
ensure a successful shadow training visit.  Tentatively, the 
trip is planned for late spring or early summer 2010. 
 
¶9.  Estimated Costs: 
 
Roundtrip airline ticket from Ashgabat to Almaty -- @ $213.38 
 
Lodging and per diem in Almaty (for 3 days) -- @ $981 
 
Estimated Total -- @ $1,194.38 
 
¶10. Point of Contact is: Patrick Slowinski (FSO)-- 
slowinskipt@state.gov 
CURRAN