Embassy News

U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Steven R. Mann Visits Turkmenistan

PAS No 173
March 5, 2007

Ashgabat, March 5, 2007 – U.S. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Steven R. Mann visited Turkmenistan from March 3-6.  At his March 5 meetings with President Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov and Deputy Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashit Meredov, Mann discussed the further development of bilateral relations between United States and Turkmenistan.  Mann also met with Deputy Chairman for Oil and Gas and Minister for Energy and Industry, Tachberdi Tagyev, and Minister of Energy and Industry, Yusup Dawudov, with whom he discussed issues of further development of the energy sector in Turkmenistan. 

Following his meeting with President Berdymuhammedov, Mann noted that the meeting was constructive for both sides: “I assured him of the support of the United States in moving forward on development in the full range of social, economic, and political spheres.  We, of course, discussed the potential for progress in the energy sector, and it is the hope of the United States that Turkmenistan will develop its energy potential to the fullest, according to the highest international technical, ecological and financial standards.”  Mann concluded that the meeting included discussions on bilateral cooperation in a variety of sectors, such as education, healthcare and other political issues.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Steven R. Mann joined the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in May 2006 following his service as Senior Advisor for Eurasia.  He is responsible for a range of foreign policy issues in the region, including region-wide energy issues.  Mann served as U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan from 1998 to 2001.