Turkmenistan: Former British Defense Secretary Hawking Helicopters to Dictator

US Department of Defense

Former British Defense Secretary, 2001

The former British defense secretary Geoff Hoon, now chief executive for the joint British-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland , received an audience with President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on December 1, the government daily Neitral'niy Turkmenistan reported, citing the State News Agency of Turkmenistan (TDH).

TDH quoted Hoon as saying that Turkmenistan had earned a reputation in international business circles as "a solid and reliable partner." Apparently he hasn't spoken to Russia's MTS, kicked out of Turkmenistan last year.

Like many other pilgrims beating a path to Berdymukhamedov's palace door, Hoon "expressed sincere admiration for the contemporary look of the white marbled Turkmen capital which has now become one of the most beautiful cities of the world," said TDH.

Hoon pitched some unspecified projects, and the Turkmen leader listened "with interest" and said they deserved "attentive, detailed study." He said that Turkmenistan intends to expand and modernize its aviation.

Back in August, Turkmenistan was reported to buy 7 helicopters from the KAMAZ factory in Tatarstan, with which it still enjoys good ties despite deteriorating relations with the Kremlin and Gazprom.

Ashgabat also purchased helicopters last year from the Italian defense group Finmeccanica.

The former British defense secretary moved to the leadership position at AgustaWestland last May.

Hoon, who was defense secretary from 1999 to 2005, was suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party in disgrace in 2010 after being secretly filmed by the television show Dispatches offering his consultancy services for £3,000 a day, the military news site defencemanagement.com reports.

As the British Guardian quoted him at the time:

"One of the challenges … I'm really looking forward to is translating my knowledge and contacts about the international scene into something that, bluntly, makes money."