Allan Mustard

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Allan Mustard
Allan Mustard.jpg
United States Ambassador to Turkmenistan
In office
January 19, 2015 –June 22, 2019

Allan Phillip Mustard is a retired American agricultural economist and career diplomat who served as the United States Ambassador to Turkmenistan from 2015 to 2019. He was the chair of the OpenStreetMap Foundation from 2019 to 2021, and advises the Caspian Policy Center.

Contents

Early years

Mustard's father, Donald, was a veterinarian; [1] his mother was a teacher. [2] Mustard was raised on a dairy farm in Brady, [2] in Grays Harbor County, Washington, where he attended Montesano High School. [1] He was subsequently educated at Grays Harbor College. [3] In 1978 he graduated with BAs in Political Science, and in Slavic Languages and Literature, from the University of Washington, Seattle. [3]

Mustard's early positions included work as a guide-interpreter for the U.S. International Communication Agency in Kishinev, Moscow [3] and at Rostov-na-Donu, in the then USSR, and a year as a social worker with the Jewish Family Service in Seattle. [2] [3] While in the USSR he met an agricultural attaché, who encouraged him to study agriculture as a route to his desired career in the diplomatic service. [1] He achieved an MS in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1982. [3]

Career

Mustard's first permanent government role, from 1982 to 1986, was as an agricultural economist at the Foreign Agricultural Service of the Department of Agriculture, in Washington DC. [2] [3] From 1986 to 1988 he was an assistant agricultural attaché at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, USSR. [2] [3] During that period, the Soviets withdrew all local staff from the embassy, so Mustard's ability to touch-type in Russian saw him doubling up in a clerical support role. [2] In 1988 he became an agricultural trade officer at the Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey, serving there until 1990. [2] [3]

He was back at the Foreign Agricultural Service from 1990, first as deputy coordinator for Eastern Europe and the Soviet Secretariat, being promoted to deputy director of the Emerging Democracies Office in 1992. [2] [3]

From 1996 to 2000 he served as agricultural counselor at the U.S. embassy in Vienna, where he had responsibility not only for Austria, but also Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia. [2] [3]

This was followed by another period in Washington, D.C., first as assistant deputy administrator for foreign agricultural affairs at the Foreign Agricultural Service (2000-2002) and then as a Fellow in the Senior Seminar in Foreign Relations at the Department of State (2002-2003).

From 2003 to 2008 he served as Agricultural Minister-Counselor, back at the Moscow embassy, and from 2008 to 2011 in the equivalent position at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City, Mexico. [2] [3] From 2011 he was in an equivalent position in New Delhi, India. At the embassy there he had responsibility for programs in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, including food aid in the latter. [2]

He was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan on November 25, 2014. [3] In October 2015 he was joined at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new embassy building in Turkmenistan's capital, Ashgabat, by the city's mayor. [4] Following his June 2019 retirement, [5] he was succeeded by Matthew Klimow.

In June 2020 he was one of 612 former diplomats, senior military officers, and other government officials who signed an open letter expressing alarm at calls by President Donald Trump and others for the use of U.S. military personnel to end Black Lives Matter protests on U.S. soil. [6]

Support for open content projects

During his ambassadorship, Mustard was a proponent of OpenStreetMap, as well as an active volunteer mapper. [7] [8] At the North American Cartographic Information Society's annual banquet in 2019, he gave a keynote address on his mapping in Turkmenistan. [9] He also gave keynote presentations at the OSM annual conference, State of the Map in 2016 [10] and 2020. [11] He gave the opening keynote at State of the Map Europe in 2023. [12] In December 2019, he was elected chair of the board of the OpenStreetMap Foundation. [13]

He describes himself as a Wikipedian. [14]

Awards and honors

Mustard has received the United States Department of Agriculture's Distinguished Honor Award (the agency's highest); and its Superior Honor Award (twice); as well as the Grand Decoration of Merit in Gold of the Republic of Austria (the country's highest for a foreigner). [15]

Personal life

Mustard is married to Ann Anderson Mustard, a former CBS Radio News correspondent, [2] whom he courted at the University of Illinois. [16] They have one daughter. [17]

He sits on the advisory board of the Caspian Policy Center. [15]

Mustard speaks Russian, German and "basic Spanish". [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Turkmenistan</span>

The economy of Turkmenistan continues to recover from the 2014 downturn in hydrocarbon prices, but remains "in the grip of its worst economic crisis since the immediate post-independence period, driven in part by low gas prices, the suspension of gas exports to Russia between 2016 and 2019...and poor harvests." Former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow at a session of the Cabinet of Ministers on 11 March 2021, called the rate of GDP growth unsatisfactory. When discussing the 2021 government budget, he noted that 2021 would be "as difficult" a year as 2020 had been. According to the 2020 Investment Climate Statement of the US Department of State, Turkmenistan's economy depends heavily on the production and export of natural gas, oil, petrochemicals and, to a lesser degree, cotton, wheat, and textiles. The economy is still recovering from a deep recession that followed the late 2014 collapse in global energy prices. The current investment climate is considered high risk for US foreign direct investment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Turkmenistan</span>

Turkmenistan's declaration of "permanent neutrality" was formally recognized by the United Nations in 1995. Former President Niyazov stated that the neutrality would prevent Turkmenistan from participating in multi-national defense organizations, but allows military assistance. Its neutral foreign policy has an important place in the country's constitution. Although the Government of Turkmenistan claims to favour trade with and export to the United States, and Turkey, its single largest commercial partner is China, which buys the vast bulk of Turkmen natural gas via the Central Asia–China gas pipeline. Turkmenistan has significant commercial relationships with Russia and Iran and growing cross-border trade with Afghanistan. The Government of Turkmenistan often appears to use the conflicting interests of these regional powers as a means to extract concessions, especially on energy issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashgabat</span> Capital and largest city of Turkmenistan

Ashgabat is the capital and largest city of Turkmenistan. It lies between the Karakum Desert and the Kopetdag mountain range in Central Asia, approximately 50 km away from the Iran-Turkmenistan border. The city has a population of 1,030,063.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmenistan</span> Country in Central Asia

Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ashgabat is the capital and largest city. It is one of the six independent Turkic states. With a population over 7 million, Turkmenistan is the 35th most-populous country in Asia and has the lowest population of the Central Asian republics while being one of the most sparsely populated nations on the Asian continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahal Region</span> Region of Turkmenistan

Ahal Region is one of five provinces of Turkmenistan. It is in the south-center of the country, bordering Iran and Afghanistan along the Kopet Dag Range. Its area is 97,160 km2 (37,510 sq mi) and population 886,845.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lebap Region</span> Region of Turkmenistan

Lebap Region is one of the regions of Turkmenistan. It is in the northeast of the country, bordering Afghanistan, Uzbekistan along the Amu Darya. Its administrative centre is Türkmenabat. It has an area of 93,727 square kilometers, and a population of 1,447,298 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Miles (diplomat)</span> American diplomat (born 1937)

Richard Monroe Miles is an American diplomat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry for National Security (Turkmenistan)</span> Ministry of the government of Turkmenistan

The Ministry for National Security or MNS is the secret police agency for the government of Turkmenistan. It is composed largely of the remnants of KGB organs left over after the collapse of the Soviet Union; its functions remain largely the same as well. The MNB and the national police force are under the direction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until 2002, it was known as the KNB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmenistan–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Turkmenistan – United States relations are bilateral relations between Turkmenistan and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russia–Turkmenistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Russia–Turkmenistan relations are the bilateral relations between Russia and Turkmenistan. Russia has an embassy in Ashgabat and a consulate-general in Türkmenbaşy. Turkmenistan has an embassy in Moscow. In 1885 the modern-day Turkmenistani region became absorbed into the Russian Empire. After 1924 it became a Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union until declaring independence in 1991. The two nations have thus been mutually friendly for the past centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

The Republic of Uzbekistan has an embassy in Ashgabat. Turkmenistan has an embassy in Tashkent. Both countries were previously subordinated republics of the Soviet Union as Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic and Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic before its collapse in 1991.

Ak bugdaý District is a district of Ahal Province in Turkmenistan. It was founded in April 1977 as Gäwers District, with its center on the urban-type settlement of Anau. Abolished in August 1988, it was restored in 1992 as part of Ahal, where it was later renamed Ak bugday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armenia–Turkmenistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bilateral diplomatic relations exist between Armenia and Turkmenistan. Armenia has an embassy in Ashgabat. Turkmenistan has an embassy in Yerevan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan–Turkmenistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

The contemporary borders of the nations of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are the products of The Great Game in Central Asia between the British and Russian Empires. As a result, the two countries have some cultural ties, with Afghanistan having 1.2 million Turkmen, the third largest Turkmen population behind Iran and Turkmenistan.

Magtymguly Avenue is an avenue in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It is considered to be the longest and most prominent avenue in the capital.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Krauss, Louis (November 17, 2017). "Turkmenistan ambassador originally from Grays Harbor visits college". The Daily World. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan: Who Is Allan Mustard?". AllGov.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "His Excellency Allan Phillip Mustard". Washington Diplomat. June 19, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  4. ↑ Putz, Catherine. "US Breaks Ground on New Embassy in Turkmenistan". The Diplomat. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ "The Honorable Allan Mustard to present ACES Distinguished International Lecture on Nov. 6". College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Strength of America's Apolitical Military: A Statement by Former U.S. Ambassadors, Military Officers, and Senior Officials". Just Security. June 15, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Mapping Ashgabat, Turkmenistan: Before an Earthquake and in Time for the Games". United States State Department. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Mapper of the month: Allan Mustard (USA/Turkmenistan)". OpenStreetMap Belgium. August 10, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  9. ↑ ""I'm Tired of Getting Lost!" or How Open-Source Cartography Improved our Lives in Turkmenistan". YouTube . November 26, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  10. ↑ "State of the Map keynote". YouTube . October 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Winds of Change in OpenStreetMap". State of the Map 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
  12. ↑ "State of the Map Europe 2023 Program". State of the Map EU. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Board Member Bios". OpenStreetMap Foundation. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  14. ↑ Mustard, Allan. "Allan Mustard". Twitter. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  15. 1 2 "Advisory Board". Caspian Policy Center. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Allan Mustard Profile". 150 Years. University of Illinois. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Keynote Speaker". YUMUNC 2020.[ permanent dead link ]

Further reading

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Turkmenistan
2015–2019		Succeeded by
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