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Cablegate: Medvedev to Visit Ashgabat On December 22

VZCZCXRO7682
PP RUEHIK
DE RUEHAH #1620 3501227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161227Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3918
INFO RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6010
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3704
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3563
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4252
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1321
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4191
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001620

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN; EEB;
ENERGY FOR EKIMOFF/BURPOE/COHEN
COMMERCE FOR DSTARKS/EHOUSE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EPET PGOV EINV RS TX
SUBJECT: MEDVEDEV TO VISIT ASHGABAT ON DECEMBER 22

REF: ASHGABAT 1546

1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.

2. (SBU) President Medvedev confirmed that his next visit to
Turkmenistan will take place on December 22 during a phone
conversation with President Berdimuhamedov on December 15.
According to Turkmen media reports, Medvedev will hold negotiations
with his Turkmen counterpart and will attend the opening ceremony of
a new building for the Russian school in Ashgabat. The Turkmen
media also reported that, during the phone conversation, the two
presidents discussed issues related to international policy and
bilateral cooperation, including energy, industry, and military
sectors.

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3. (SBU) Although the school opening is portrayed as the reason for
Medvedev's visit to Ashgabat, his visit will most likely focus on
gas trade issues (reftel). The December 15 visit of Russian Deputy
Prime Minister Igor Sechin to Ashgabat, who is in charge of the
energy sector in the Russian Government, indirectly confirms this
assumption. During his stay in Ashgabat, Sechin reportedly met with
Berdimuhamedov to deliver a personal written message from Medvedev
and to convey greetings from Russian Prime Minister Putin. The
Turkmen media also reported that Berdimuhamedov and Sechin discussed
bilateral projects in the energy sector as well as other areas of
the economy. Medvedev's message seems to have been something more
than just seasonal congratulations; local newspapers have not
published its text, which they usually do with congratulatory
messages to the Turkmen President.

4. (SBU) COMMENT: At this point it remains uncertain whether the
long-awaited agreement regarding gas supplies will be finalized
during Medvedev's upcoming visit. Judging by the frequent visits by
Russian high-ranking officials to Turkmenistan and the frequent
meetings between the two presidents, it seems probable that the two
sides have not yet given up on a new gas contract before the New
Year. END COMMENT.

CURRAN

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