US embassy cable - 01ASHGABAT1049

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001049 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/11 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, TX 
SUBJECT: BERDIEV SACKED; MEREDOV NEW FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
(U) CLASSIFIED BY CDA ERIC T. SCHULTZ, REASONS 1.5 (B) 
AND (D) 
 
1. (C) PRESIDENT NIYAZOV OPENED THE SEVENTH SESSION OF 
THE MEJLIS (PARLIAMENT) JULY 7 WITH A SPEECH IN WHICH HE 
HARSHLY CRITICIZED AND THEN DISMISSED FOREIGN MINISTER 
BATYR BERDIEV.  NIYAZOV ACCUSED BERDIEV OF EXCESSIVE 
DRINKING, AND SAID THAT AS A RESULT OF BERDIEV'S PERSONAL 
FAILINGS HE HAD BEEN INEFFECTIVE IN MANAGING EITHER THE 
FOREIGN MINISTRY OR THE COUNTRY'S EXTERNAL RELATIONS.  IN 
PARTICULAR HE CITED CORRUPTION IN THE MINISTRY'S CONSULAR 
SECTION'S VISA ISSUANCE AND THE MINISTRY'S FAILURE TO 
MAKE PROGRESS ON RESOLVING THE DISPUTE WITH AZERBAIJAN 
OVER CASPIAN DEMARCATION.  HE ALSO CRITICIZED BERDIEV FOR 
PROMOTING PEOPLE FROM HIS OWN REGION AND FAILING TO 
IDENTIFY AND PROMOTE A GOOD FIRST DEPUTY MINISTER. 
NIYAZOV PROMISED BERDIEV AN ONWARD ASSIGNMENT BUT GAVE NO 
INDICATION WHAT IT WOULD BE. 
 
2. (C) NIYAZOV APPOINTED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MEJLIS, 
RASHID MEREDOV TO BE THE NEW FOREIGN MINSTER AND NAMED 
THE GOVERNOR OF BALKANABAT PROVINCE (TURKMENBASHI) 
REJEPBAY ARAZOV AS MEREDOV'S REPLACEMENT.  MEREDOV HAD 
ONLY BEEN SPEAKER, NOMINALLY THE NUMBER TWO POSITION IN 
THE GOVERNMENT, SINCE APRIL.  ARAZOV HAD BEEN GOVERNOR OF 
BALKANABAT SINCE LAST JANUARY, WHEN HE WAS TRANSFERRED 
FROM OIL AND GAS MINISTER.  IN THE NEUTRAL TURKMENISTAN 
REPORT OF THE SPEECH, NIYAZOV IS QUOTED AS TELLING 
MEREDOV THAT KNB CHAIRMAN MUHAMMET NAZAROV WILL OVERSEE 
HIS WORK.  NAZAROV THUS (OFFICIALLY) ADDS FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
TO HIS EVER-GROWING LIST OF RESPONSIBILITIES. 
 
3. (C) CHARGE SPOKE AT LENGTH JULY 5 WITH TWO FORMER 
FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS WHO ARE HEADED TO THE U.S. ON 
MUSKIE FELLOWSHIPS, NIKOLAI NAZAROV AND AZAT ATANJANOV. 
THEY FORESHADOWED BERDIEV'S DEPARTURE, NOTING THAT WHILE 
HE HAD BEEN A VERY GOOD AMBASSADOR IN VIENNA AT THE OSCE, 
HE HAD PROVEN A POOR MANAGER AND HAD BEEN UNABLE TO 
ESTABLISH HIS AUTHORITY OVER THE MINISTRY.  HE HAD BEEN 
UNABLE TO ACQUIRE EITHER THE RESOURCES OR THE ACCESS TO 
THE PRESIDENT THAT WOULD HAVE BUTTRESSED HIS AUTHORITY. 
THEY BOTH ALSO FORESHADOWED NAZAROV'S NEW ROLE, NOTING 
NIYAZOV'S PATTERN OF LOADING DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 
ON A TRUSTED DEPUTY.  SHIKHMURADOV HAD FILLED THAT ROLE 
THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE DECADE.  WITH HIS FALL FROM POWER, 
THE FOREIGN MINISTRY HAD ALSO LOST INFLUENCE. 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: BERDIEV WAS PRESENT ALONG WITH NAZAROV 
AND MEREDOV AT THE EMBASSY'S JULY 4 RECEPTION.  HE GAVE 
US NO INDICATION THAT HIS DISMISSAL WAS IMMINENT. 
HOWEVER, MOST OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS HAS FELT FOR SOME 
TIME THAT HE WAS ON THIN ICE.  IN PART, THIS WAS BECAUSE 
BERDIEV WAS SEEN AS FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER 
SHIKHMURADOV'S MAN.  IN PART, IT WAS BECAUSE BERDIEV WAS 
TOO YOUNG, TOO INEXPERIENCED, AND TOO WEAK TO SURVIVE IN 
TURKMEN POLITICS.  NONETHELESS, THE PREVAILING SENTIMENT 
IS THAT BERDIEV'S DISMISSAL, AND ESPECIALLY THE PERSONAL 
ATTACK ON HIS CHARACTER, WAS UNJUST. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: THE CHOICE OF MEREDOV IS A 
SURPRISE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY AN UNPLEASANT ONE FOR US. 
HE IS A 41-YEAR-OLD LAWYER WITH SOME ENGLISH, WHO SEEMS 
WESTERN-ORIENTED.  HOWEVER THE MOST INTERESTING 
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE IS THAT HIS FATHER, OVEZGELDIY, IS ONE 
OF THE EMBASSY'S LANGUAGE INSTRUCTORS, A FACT WHICH 
CANNOT HAVE BEEN UNKNOWN TO NIYAZOV.  MEREDOV'S 
APPOINTMENT, TAKEN TOGETHER WITH NAZAROV'S RARE PRESENCE 
AT THE JULY 4 RECEPTION (HE ALMOST NEVER ATTENDS NATIONAL 
DAYS AND DID NOT ATTEND EITHER THE RUSSIAN SOVEREIGNTY 
DAY JUNE 12, OR THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY JUNE 16), AND THE 
RECENT EXIM PAYMENT OF USD 50 MILLION, COULD BE SEEN AS 
THE BEGINNING OF A TURKMEN EFFORT TO REENGAGE WITH THE 
U.S., AS AMBASSADOR MANN URGED THE GOTX TO DO IN HIS 
FAREWELL CALLS. 
 
SCHULTZ