U.S. Assistance to Turkmenistan -- Fiscal Year 2005

The Turkmenistan assistance program seeks to support the next generation of leaders and citizens who are willing and able to participate in a civil society. In Fiscal Year 2005, the estimated $16.3 million budgeted by all U.S. Government agencies for assistance programs in Turkmenistan is allocated roughly as follows based on information available as of the date of this fact sheet:

(Note: the figures below include $7 million budgeted from the FY 2005 Supplemental to bolster counternarcotics and border security programs.)

Democracy programs in Turkmenistan continue to support civil society, public advocacy, and the rule of law, despite the restrictive operating environment in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work. Funding to civil society support centers provides training, grants, information support, and technical assistance to indigenous NGOs and community groups. Small grants programs promote civil society and civic education, advocacy, community development, women’s and minority rights, and human rights. In addition, the Legal Resource Center at Turkmen State University is expanding its legal seminar and clinic offerings to reach more law students. These programs are intended to increase professional ethics and develop critical thinking skills among law students.

Training and exchange programs seek to give the next generation of leaders first-hand experience with the day-to-day functioning of a market-based, democratic system. Last year, the U.S. Government sent 128 Turkmen citizens to the United States on academic and professional exchange programs. Since 1993, the U.S. Government has funded the travel of 1,508 Turkmen citizens to the United States on these programs. Cooperation continues with the American University of Central Asia in the Kyrgyz Republic to provide scholarships for promising undergraduate students from Turkmenistan.

U.S. assistance programs in health strengthen the delivery and management of social services. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports training for family doctors and nurses to improve their professional skills and improved diagnostic skills among laboratory technicians. USAID also trains healthcare system managers and provides technical assistance towards the design of a new health insurance system. The Keeping Children Healthy Campaign informs rural parents of better health practices for their families and children, with the goal of reduced mortality levels due to diarrhea, malnutrition, and acute respiratory infections. Infectious disease programs aim to reduce the spread of and improve treatment for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

U.S. assistance for social services also works to counteract the deterioration of the education system through a limited basic education program that promotes interactive teaching methods and encourages parental involvement in schools.

Market reform programs focus on small business development and natural resource management. Economic development programs provide technical assistance and training to entrepreneurs, agricultural producers, and trade associations. USAID also supports seminars on international financial reporting standards for business managers, accountants, and entrepreneurs. The Government of Turkmenistan is participating in a water resource management program to establish a communication system to collect and distribute hydrological data throughout the region. Additionally, a new program assists local farmers’ organizations to improve water management and efficiency.

Turkmenistan lies along historic trade and smuggling routes that run between the North Caucasus, Southwest Asia, and Afghanistan. Security assistance programs aim to prevent the trafficking of persons and narcotics and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction along these routes. The U.S. Government is providing equipment and U.S.-based training to meet nonproliferation goals, and our Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance program continues to improve Turkmen prevention capabilities against weapons proliferation and other illicit trafficking. Foreign Military Financing and International Military Education and Training programs continue to modernize and Westernize the Turkmenistan military, ensuring interoperability with NATO and Coalition forces in support of the Global War on Terrorism.

Law enforcement training and technical assistance address the flow of narcotics in the region through programs such as the creation of a forensics lab for use in counternarcotics investigations. Cooperative efforts between the U.S. Government and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime provide equipment and training to better combat drug trafficking and smuggling along the border with Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy also works to engage the Government of Turkmenistan in efforts to combat trafficking in persons.