id: 56221
date:
3/13/2006 5:53
refid:
06DUSHANBE474
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
06DUSHANBE474
header:
VZCZCXRO6237
PP RUEHLN
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE
RUEHDBU #0474/01 0720553
ZNR UUUUU
ZZH
P R
130553Z MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6936
INFO
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC
WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA 1433
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING 1474
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN 1463
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD 1414
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL 1363
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON 1428
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI 1388
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS 1318
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO 1233
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK 1014
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO 1460
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE 1508
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS 0807
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE 8067
——————
header ends —————-
UNCLAS
SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000474
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN
E.O.
12958: N/A
TAGS:
PGOV, PREL, KFLU, ECON, EAGR, EAID, TBIO, SENV, KSTH, WHO,
SOCI, TI
SUBJECT:
TAJIKISTAN INTERNATIONAL DONORS PREPARE FOR AVIAN FLU
DUSHANBE
00000474 001.2 OF 002
1. Although Tajikistan’s government agencies are
taking steps
to
prevent Avian Influenza and control an outbreak, they lack
technical
expertise and need assistance from international
organizations. At a poorly attended donor’s meeting,
representatives
from the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization
(FAO) said the State Veterinary Service reported
its
diagnostics and testing materials Russia donated have run
out. In addition to more diagnostic reagents, the
official
inspectors
need personal protection suits and government
employees
need training in new techniques of detecting,
monitoring,
and handling an outbreak. To date,
Tajikistan has
no
reported incidents of Avian Influenza.
2. The Tajik Ministry of Health and Ministry of
Agriculture
have
endorsed a draft of the National Comprehensive Plan of
Action on
Preventing and Control of Avian Influenza; however,
donors
agreed the plan needs improvement and is incomplete. The
State
Veterinary Services also is drafting a separate Avian
Influenza
plan, independent of the Ministry of Agriculture’s
plan. At this point, individual departments are
adopting their
own plans
because the bureaucracy involved in approving a plan
signed
off by President Rahmonov would take too long.
3. Experts fear that spring bird migration
patterns could put
Tajikistan
at high risk for Avian Influenza.
Tajikistan borders
at least
one affected country. Notably, China has
reported
cases
along its western border near Tajikistan.
A park ranger
at
Tigrovaya Balka National Park on Tajikistan’s southern border
with
Afghanistan, commented that he fears birds migrating
through
the park from Afghanistan would bring Avian Influenza
into
Tajikistan. He told PolOff he had raised
this with the
State
Veterinary Service, and requested more funding for
monitoring
stations, but it ignored his warnings.
4. Tajikistan’s government has not always been
forthcoming with
information
about disease outbreaks and deliberately covers up
outbreaks. If a case of Avian Influenza were to occur in
Tajikistan,
the government may not inform the international
community. Farmers also have no incentive to inform
authorities. As policy now stands, the government offers
no
compensation
for the loss of a poultry flock. FAO
estimates up
to 80
percent of the domestic fowl in Tajikistan are «backyard
flocks.» Families detecting sick birds, without
promise of
compensation,
would be most likely to try to sell them at local
markets.
5. International Finance Corporation’s Paul
Heidloff, an
agriculture
specialist who has developed poultry vaccination and
quarantine
programs over the past fifteen years, is advising the
World
Bank to assist Tajikistan to establish strategic
preventative
measures. Heidloff said the World Bank
is
considering
providing Tajikistan with a grant to reimburse
farmers
for destroyed flocks and monitoring assistance.
The
government
needs to monitor both commercial and village farms
weekly
and should work to explain the importance of Avian
Influenza
and seek the farms’ full cooperation. If
a full
outbreak
were to occur, Tajikistan would need to cull 25% of its
birds and
compensate farmers approximately $5 million for
destroyed
poultry.
6. FAO has taken the lead on coordinating donor
activity and
keeping
the international community informed on Avian Influenza
activities. FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO)
have
set up a
joint technical task force on Avian Influenza to
support
coordination among Tajikistan’s various government
agencies
dealing with Avian Influenza. FAO’s top
priorities
include
setting up an Avian Influenza Unit, establishing a
poultry
monitoring network throughout Tajikistan, upgrading
diagnostics
facilities, and implementing more sensitive testing
DUSHANBE
00000474 002.2 OF 002
methods. FAO will conduct a full assessment of Avian
Influenza
risks in
Tajikistan and advise the government to change its
contingency
plans based on FAO findings.
7. COMMENT:
No coordinated national action plan or plan of
contingency
exists for President Rahmonov, which indicates that
Avian
Influenza remains a priority only for the relevant
ministries
and not at the presidential or senior adviser level.
The Tajik
government from the top down needs to engage with
international
organizations. Tajikistan relies
heavily on
international
donors to assist in all Avian Influenza efforts,
including
testing and training inspectors. The
Ministry of
Health
requested assistance from the United States to fund
training
programs for its officials. USAID has
submitted the
proposal
for funding. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56283
date:
3/13/2006 13:45
refid:
06DUSHANBE482
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination:
06DUSHANBE321
header:
VZCZCXRO6849
PP RUEHLN
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE
RUEHDBU #0482/01 0721345
ZNR UUUUU
ZZH
P R
131345Z MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6951
INFO
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0809
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE 8082
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY
MANILA 0022
RUCNCIS/CIS
COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC
WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA 1435
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING 1476
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN 1466
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD 1416
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL 1365
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON 1430
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI 1390
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS 1320
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO 1235
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK 1016
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO 1462
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE 1513
——————
header ends —————-
UNCLAS
SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000482
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN, EB
E.O.
12958: N/A
TAGS:
PGOV, ECON, EINV, EAGR, ETRD, ENRG, TI
SUBJECT:
TAJIKISTAN: IMF SEES ECONOMIC PROGRESS
AND GROWTH
REF:
DUSHANBE 0321
DUSHANBE
00000482 001.2 OF 002
1. (SBU)
SUMMARY: Washington-based
International Monetary
Fund
(IMF) Tajikistan Country Director Carlos Pinerua gave an
upbeat
assessment of Tajikistan’s economy but remained concerned
about
regulatory hurdles and lack of diversification for
continued
growth. Pinerua painted a positive
picture of the
strong
GDP growth, increased tax collection and expanding
production. The IMF still worries, however, about the
inadequate
regulatory framework, reliance on large
infrastructure
projects, and the concentration of wealth in
1,000
families. The IMF will consider
arranging a one-day crash
course on
substantive economic reform to the newly appointed and
highly
influential Presidential economic advisor Davlatov. END
SUMMARY.
TAX
COLLECTION, CONSUMPTION, PRODUCTION UP
2. (SBU)
Accompanied by IMF resident representative Samat
Khawaja,
during a March 9 meeting with the Ambassador, Pinerua
confirmed
that tax revenues were up this year — and not just
because
Tajikistan Aluminum Plant (TadAZ) has begun paying
taxes. Pinerua credited increased tax collection in
all
sectors,
except for agriculture, to growing consumption fueled
by even
higher remittances from abroad. Revenues
from the Value
Added Tax
(VAT), in addition to the increase in the price of
aluminum,
fueled this increase. Pinerua said that
taxes for
TadAZ are
now based on international aluminum prices.
3. (SBU)
The IMF predicts 8 percent growth and 7 percent
inflation
for 2006. GDP growth remained high at
6.3 percent for
January
and February. Tajikistan’s fruit and
vegetable exports
to Russia
this year are expected to double because of freezing
weather
in that country over the winter. In
particular,
Tajikistan
may export 90,000 tons of potatoes and up to 120,000
tons of
onions due to lowered Russian tariffs.
(COMMENT: This
will put
upward price pressure on local produce in markets by
summer
that will impact domestic consumers. END
COMMENT.)
REGULATORY
ENVIRONMENT, DIVERSIFICATION CONCERNS
4. (SBU)
Without a better regulatory framework, economic
growth in
Tajikistan will be delayed, according to Pinerua,
because
«nobody is sure about the rules of the game.» Pinerua
said the
government should play a role in the regulatory
process,
but the involvement of some officials presents a
troubling
conflict of interest. The opening of the
aviation
sector
would be a good step in the right direction.
5. (SBU)
Pinerua stressed that while big infrastructure
investment
— such as hydropower — is important, broader based
economic
development is essential for sustainable growth that
reaches
the entire population. Khawaja pointed
out that
approximately
1,000 families in Tajikistan control the economy:
e.g., one
family for air transport, one family for grain, a few
families
for cotton. The massive profits accruing
to few
individual
accounts for most of the new ostentatious private
residences
being built in Dushanbe.
ROGUN
6. (SBU)
The IMF was skeptical about Russian Aluminum’s
(RusAl)
cost benefit assessments for its proposed Rogun
hydropower
plant , but noted the company could be looking at the
longer
term (15-20 years). Pinerua said the
pricing structure
was not
clear and added none of his contacts believed Rogun
would
ever be built. He also noted that if
RusAl head Oleg
Deripaska
gains control of the TadAZ smelter, he would not need
Rogun.
DUSHANBE
00000482 002.2 OF 002
EDUCATING
DAVLATOV
7. (SBU)
The Ambassador suggested to Pinerua and Khawaja that
the IMF
coordinate a one-day International Financial
Institutions
(IFIs) seminar on economic reforms for
newly-appointed
Presidential Advisor on Economic Affairs
Matlubhon
Davlatov (ref). Khawaja noted that the
influential
and
reasonable Davlatov’s appointment was one of the most
important
steps for Tajikistan so far in economic reform
Both
Pinerua
and Khawaja agreed to explore a
conference or drafting
a short
economic reform priorities «cheat sheet» for Davlatov.
8. (SBU)
COMMENT: The IMF’s assessment
provides one snapshot
of
Tajikistan’s economic growth and coming challenges.
Pinerua’s
stress on broad-based small- and medium-enterprise
development
tracks with Post’s own concern that hydropower and
infrastructure
projects alone will not create long-term economic
stability
and may only concentrate economic prosperity in the
hands of
an elite few. Despite the recent spate
of press
releases
announcing potential investments from Kazakhstan, Dubai
and
elsewhere, Tajikistan can only attract long-term foreign
direct
investment with transparent regulations and continued
substantive
economic reform. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56379
date:
3/14/2006 8:43
refid:
06DUSHANBE489
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
06DUSHANBE326
header:
VZCZCXRO7734
PP
RUEHDBU
DE
RUEHDBU #0489/01 0730843
ZNY CCCCC
ZZH
P 140843Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6958
INFO
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING PRIORITY 1478
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA PRIORITY 1441
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1392
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL PRIORITY 1368
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1422
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT
STAFF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC
WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM
INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEPGDA/USEUCOM
JIC VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1018
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0811
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO PRIORITY 1237
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY
MANILA PRIORITY 0024
RHMFISS/DEPT
OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT
OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT
OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE PRIORITY 8093
——————
header ends —————-
C O N F I
D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000489
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN
EMBASSY
MANILA: PLEASE PASS TO ADB AMBASSADOR SPELTZ
E.O.
12958: DECL: 3/14/2016
TAGS:
PGOV, PREL, ENRG, ECON, RS, CH, KZ, TI
SUBJECT:
KAZAKHSTAN LOOKING, BUT NOT JUMPING INTO TAJIK ENERGY
SECTOR
REF:
DUSHANBE 326
CLASSIFIED
BY: RICHARD HOAGLAND, AMBASSADOR, DUSHANBE,
TAJIKISTAN,
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
REASON:
1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C)
Kazakhstan is not yet serious about the Tajik energy
sector. Deputy Energy Minister Akhram Suleimanov told
PolOff
that
despite a press release quoting the Kazakhstani Ambassador
to
Tajikistan saying Kazakhstan might invest in Sangtuda I,
«Sangtuda
is for the Russians only.»
Suleimanov observed that
Kazakhstan
has shown some interest in Rogun, but added that
RusAl was
now talking about financing at least four of the six
turbines,
instead of two. When PolOff reminded him that in late
January
he indicated RusAl might not be able to carry the
project
alone, he dismissed his previous comment. «RusAl is
serious
(reftel). They’ll do it.»
2. (C)
The AES transmission line project remains on track
(septel),
and Suleimanov noted the Memorandum of Understanding
should be
signed by the end of March. The 220 kV lines from
Geran to
the Tajik-Afghan border would be the first step, but
high
voltage lines, not necessarily along the same path,
represented
a crucial phase to export Tajik electricity
southwards. The Chinese are still negotiating to
construct a
$146
million «South-North» transmission line, a project that
would
complement a Chinese proposal to rehabilitate a road,
build a
tunnel and establish a fiber optic network along the
same
stretch.
3. (C)
Suleimanov said he would be part of a Tajik delegation
to Islamabad
in April to discuss energy issues and possibly sign
a
long-awaited memorandum among Pakistan, Afghanistan and
Tajikistan. He indicated that Tajikistan had «no
end» of
hydropower
projects to present at the June U.S. Trade and
Development
Agency meeting in Istanbul on Central Asian energy.
4. (C)
COMMENT: Suleimanov offered no
new developments in the
energy
world, but confirmed the current trends and rumors.
Suleimanov
is much more accessible and forthcoming than his
curmudgeonly
colleague, Deputy Energy Minister Silantiev, who
only
half-jokingly comments on the U.S. inability to bring real
investment
in hydropower. Energy Minister
Nurmamatov tasked
Suleimanov
in October 2005 with overseeing the Trade and
Development
Agency-funded feasibility study of the Varzob
Cascade,
and Suleimanov has proven engaged and more
understanding
of U.S. and western investment practices.
END
COMMENT.
5. (U)
The press release on Kazakh energy:
Kazakh
Ambassador to Tajikistan: Issue of Kazakhstan’s
participation
in Sangtuda-1 construction is not closed yet
Dushanbe,
7 March- Avesta/ N. Pirnazarov/- The issue of
participation
of Kazakhstan in the construction of Sangtuda-1
hydropower
plant is not closed yet, Kazakh
ambassador to
Tajikistan
Erlan Abildaev told Monday in Dushanbe.
«Kazakhstan
has
prospects and is interested in the project,» he said. He
said that
Kazakh Investment Fund now shows the interest in
Tajikistan’s
energy sector, namely the fund is interested in
cascade
of hydropower plants at Zeravshan river.
«This process
will
demand time and we will have to study everything, including
feasibility
study,» Abildaev commented.
Kazakhstan is also
interested
in the construction of a power line from Tajikistan
to
Kazakhstan, he said. «When both
Rogun and two Sangtuda
hydropower
plants are commissioned, Tajikistan will be able to
produce a
big amount of energy and Kazakhstan is ready to import
such a
cheap energy,» he stressed. May be
these issues will be
DUSHANBE
00000489 002 OF 002
settled
during the Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov’s visit to
Kazakhstan,
he said.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56455
date:
3/14/2006 13:55
refid:
06DUSHANBE493
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO8130
PP RUEHLN
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE
RUEHDBU #0493/01 0731355
ZNR UUUUU
ZZH
P 141355Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6965
INFO
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC
WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA PRIORITY 1443
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING PRIORITY 1480
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN PRIORITY 1468
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1424
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL PRIORITY 1370
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON PRIORITY 1432
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1394
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS PRIORITY 1322
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO PRIORITY 1239
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1020
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO PRIORITY 1464
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE PRIORITY 1515
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0813
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE PRIORITY 8100
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY
MANILA PRIORITY 0026
RHMFIUU/DEPT
OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT
OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT
OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
——————
header ends —————-
UNCLAS
SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 000493
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN
EMBASSY
MANILA: PLEASE PASS TO ADB AMBASSADOR
SPELTZ
E.O.
12958: N/A
TAGS:
PGOV, PREL, ENRG, ECON, RS, TI, AF
SUBJECT:
TAJIKISTAN’S MOI WITH AES ON POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
DUSHANBE
00000493 001.2 OF 003
1. (SBU)
SUMMARY: Post received the
following letter from
the
Minister of Energy regarding Tajik government cooperation
with AES,
including the nine-page Memorandum of Intent for the
«construction
of a 220kV transmission line connecting the energy
systems
of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.» The
letter summarized
the
events and negotiations of the preceding months and outlined
AES’s
requirements for participation in Tajikistan’s energy
sector
and a timeline for the project, scheduled to be completed
in
November 2007. END SUMMARY
2. (SBU) COMMENT: If things move according to schedule, the
transmission
lines will give AES the toehold in the Tajik energy
sector
that eluded them as hydropower station projects went one
after
another to other investors. Contacts in
the Ministry of
Energy
have always mentioned AES as the prime candidate to build
the
transmission lines, but failed to understand AES’s need to
control
some power generation as well. We hope
this agreement
will mark
the first step towards AES participating in a power
station
project, either Rogun, or another smaller project. END
COMMENT.
3. Begin text:
March 6
TO THE
EMBASSY OF THE
UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA
Herewith,
we would like to inform you that beginning 2005 the
Ministry
of Energy of Tajikistan and AES Silk Road (USA) held
intensive
negotiations in the area of energy, in particular
construction
and maintenance of energy facilities and
possibilities
of export Tajik electricity to Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan
and Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In the
course of series of negotiations proposals were reviewed
to
construct a 500- or 765 kV transmission lines on following
routes:
Roghun — Khorog — Vahang Corridor — Chirtal — Peshawar,
and
Roghun — Sangtuda — Shirhon Bandar — Kunduz — Puli Humri —
Kobul
Peshawar to enable future exports of electricity upon
completion
of construction at Roghun, Sangtuda I and Sangtuda II
hydroelectric
power stations.
As a result of activities a Memorandum
of Intention was
signed
between Open Joint Stock Holding Company «Barqi Tojik» of
the
Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan and AES Nurenergoservice of
AES Silk
Group in the area of collaboration of excess
electricity
produced during summer period at hydroelectric power
stations
in Tajikistan. Then, since December 2005
AES actively
participated
in negotiations between the Ministry of Energy of
Tajikistan
and the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of
Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan on collaboration in the energy
sector;
negotiations discussed issues concerning implementation
of
projects to build the aforementioned transmission lines.
Then, in January 16, 2006 the Government
of Tajikistan
conducted
a meeting to discuss Hydropower Development Strategy
and to
create an international hydropower consortium.
The
meeting
was attended by representatives of the Government of
Tajikistan,
RAO UES, Rusal JSC, Kazakhstan Development Bank,
Kazakhstan
Investment Fund, Asian Development Bank and European
Bank for
Reconstruction and Development.
A Protocol of Second International
Meeting was signed in a
DUSHANBE
00000493 002.2 OF 003
course of
the meeting to establish an international hydropower
consortium;
in accordance with Protocol AES committed to be an
investment
partner for construction of electric transmission
lines and
to export electricity to Afghanistan and Pakistan
under the
following conditions:
—Financial
support from IFIs
—Government
of Tajikistan as one of the partners
—Commercial
purchase agreement with Afghanistan and Pakistan,
as future
consumers of Tajik electricity
—Partnership
with companies for the Russian Federation
—Intention
to play a key role in development, design,
construction
and management of transmission lines and generating
facilities
—Expresses
interest to actively work with the Government of
Tajikistan
and IFI in implementation of a project 220 kV
Transmission
Line (construction of 220 kV two-circuit
transmission
line Sangtuda — Geran — Sherhon Bandar — Kunduz to
export
electricity to Afghanistan).
With a
purpose to implement commitments within the framework of
mentioned
above Protocol, AES presented a draft of Memorandum of
Intent
between Ministry of Energy of Tajikistan and AES Silk
Road Inc
for construction of a 220 kV transmission line
connecting
energy systems of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
This
Memorandum
was reviewed by us and with amended changes was
forward
to AES office in Almaty on February 28, 2006.
Based on
said above, Ministry of Energy is forwarding for your
information
a copy of the draft Memorandum of Intent between
Ministry
of Energy of Tajikistan and AES Silk Road Inc. for
construction
of a 220 kV transmission line connecting energy
systems
of Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
We request your assistance in
implementation of the
project.
Attachment:
9 pages
Sincerely,
Minister
J. Nurmahmatov
End text
4.
Following are the Memorandum of Intent’s main points. A
complete
text is available in Russian.
MEMORANDUM
OF INTENT
Preamble:
Parties
to Memorandum: Government of Tajikistan represented by
the
Ministry of Energy, and AES Corporation (U.S.) represented
by AES
Silk Road Inc. (fully owned by AES Corporation).
Parties
agreed to incorporate a Transmission Company to
implement
the Project agreed on principle Build — Operate —
Transfer
(BOT)
Project
will: (i) build two-circuit transmission line 220KV (90
km) to
Afghanistan border; (ii) open a representative office;
DUSHANBE
00000493 003.2 OF 003
Parties
agreed to:
AES and
Ministry of Energy will establish a company that will
(i)
implement the project; (ii) manage and own all facilities as
provided
in the project;
Shares of
each party in the Company will be determined upon
completion
of Feasibility Study;
Project
will be implemented on phase-by-phase basis;
Schedule:
March 10,
2006 — signing of proposed Memorandum of Intent;
March 20,
2006 — expected signing date for BOT Agreement between
AES and
Ministry of Energy;
July 30,
2006 — expected completion of feasibility study;
August
31, 2006 — expected date when Basic Agreements will come
into
effect
September
15, 2006 — expected approval on final Feasibility
Study. Negotiations with Government of Tajikistan on
proposed
articles
of agreement by AES
October
2006 — inception of Agreements of the Project
November
2006 — obtaining investment license for project
implementation
February
2007 — proposed financing proposal will be available
March —
2007 — inception of construction works
November
2007 — completion of construction works
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56469
date:
3/14/2006 14:30
refid:
06DUSHANBE494
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO8205
PP RUEHLN
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE
RUEHDBU #0494 0731430
ZNR UUUUU
ZZH
P 141430Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6968
INFO
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC
WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA PRIORITY 1446
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING PRIORITY 1483
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN PRIORITY 1471
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1427
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL PRIORITY 1373
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON PRIORITY 1435
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1397
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS PRIORITY 1325
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO PRIORITY 1242
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1023
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO PRIORITY 1467
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE PRIORITY 1518
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0816
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE PRIORITY 8103
——————
header ends —————-
UNCLAS
DUSHANBE 000494
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN
E.O.
12958: N/A
TAGS:
PREL, PGOV, KNNP, TI
SUBJECT:
TAJIKISTAN RESPONDS TO DRAFT NONPROLIFERATION AGREEMENT
1. The Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
responded to the
U.S.-initiated
bilateral nonproliferation agreement.
Tajik
officials
edited and made comments to the agreement’s weapons of
mass
destruction section. Tajikistan’s MFA
suggested the United
States
separate the defense and military cooperation part of the
agreement
and draft a new Memorandum of Understanding solely on
defense
and military cooperation.
2. Post will forward the edited draft with
comments from the
Tajik
side to the Department of State, the Defense Threat
Reduction
Agency and Department of Defense’s International
Counter-proliferation
program for official translation and
response.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56594
date:
3/15/2006 11:07
refid:
06DUSHANBE499
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
06STATE20173
header:
VZCZCXRO9222
PP
RUEHDBU
DE
RUEHDBU #0499 0741107
ZNY CCCCC
ZZH
P 151107Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6972
INFO
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1024
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE 8111
——————
header ends —————-
C O N F I
D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 000499
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN, IO/UNP BHARRIS; AND WH/PPC RYONEOKA
E.O.
12958: DECL: 3/15/2016
TAGS:
PREL, PGOV, UN, UNSC, GT, VE, TI
SUBJECT:
TAJIKISTAN: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON
DEFEATING VENEZUELA IN
THE 2006
ELECTION FOR NON-PERMANENT SEAT ON THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL
REF:
STATE 20173
CLASSIFIED
BY: Richard E. Hoagland, Ambassador, Embassy
Dushanbe,
U.S. Department of State.
REASON:
1.4 (d)
1. (U) Post delivered talking points per reftel
on defeating
Venezuela
in the 2006 election for non-permanent seat on the UN
Security
Council to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2. (C) The government of Tajikistan has not
discussed the vote
with
Venezuela or Guatemala and has not yet made a decision on
how it
will vote. One month prior to the
October vote,
Tajikistan
will participate in a meeting with Russia and CIS
countries
to discuss and confer on UN Security Council issues.
Tajikistan
will not necessarily vote in a block with Russia and
other CIS
countries and said it would seriously consider
Tajikistan’s
common interests with the United States when voting
for the
Group of Latin American Countries’ seat in the UN
Security
Council for 2007-2008.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56607
date:
3/15/2006 12:20
refid:
06DUSHANBE502
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
CONFIDENTIAL
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO9306
PP
RUEHDBU
DE
RUEHDBU #0502/01 0741220
ZNY CCCCC
ZZH
P 151220Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6977
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0817
INFO
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 8116
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUCNCIS/CIS
COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA PRIORITY 1448
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING PRIORITY 1484
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN PRIORITY 1472
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1429
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL PRIORITY 1374
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON PRIORITY 1436
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1398
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS PRIORITY 1326
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO PRIORITY 1243
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT
STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ
USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO PRIORITY 1468
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE PRIORITY 1519
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1025
——————
header ends —————-
C O N F I
D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 000502
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
EUR, SCA/CEN, DRL
NSC FOR
MILLARD, MERKEL
E.O.
12958: DECL: 3/15/2016
TAGS:
PREL, PGOV, PTER, ECON, KDEM, RS, IR, UZ, AF, TI
SUBJECT:
EU SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE BRIEFS ON MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
RAHMONOV
CLASSIFIED
BY: Richard E. Hoagland, Ambassador, EXEC, Embassy
Dushanbe.
REASON:
1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C) SUMMARY:
In a read-out of his just-concluded meeting
with
President Rahmonov, EU Special Representative for Central
Asia
Kubis said that a calm and confident Rahmonov undertook to
improve
(to a degree) Tajik elections, reasserted his unreserved
willingness
to support coalition efforts in the war on
terrorism,
advocated strongly against any military action in
Iran, expressed
great exasperation with Karimov’s Uzbekistan,
and made
clear his intention to balance his relations with large
powers. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) The Ambassador met for 90 minutes March
15 with EU
Special
Representative for Central Asia Jan Kubis at the
invitation
of French Ambassador Pierre Andrieu.
France is the
contact
embassy in Dushanbe for the EU.
FROM
BASKET CASE TO ISLAND OF STABILITY AND GROWTH
3. (C) Kubis had just come from a nearly
two-hour meeting with
President
Rahmonov, who characterized Tajikistan as stable and
quiet,
with good prospects for economic development.
He listed
Tajikistan
and Kazakhstan as the two most stable states in the
region,
and Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan as the two poorest,
needing
the most international assistance and investment. Kubis
told the
Ambassador that, too, was his assessment, and marveled
at the
turn-around Tajikistan has made in the last five years.
«ELECTIONS
WILL BE BETTER, BUT~»
4. (C) Rahmonov brushed off a request for his
evaluation of the
Tajik
political scene looking toward the presidential election
at the
end of the year, claiming he had too many other
priorities
at this time to pay attention to politics this early
in the
game. He did note, however, that he
believes he has
genuine
support throughout the country and will never «retire
from an
airport,» alluding to former Kyrgyz President Akayev’s
escape to
Moscow. Rahmonov also contrasted his
solid support
within
the country to President Karimov’s in Uzbekistan where,
he said,
only Moscow and Beijing are keeping Karimov afloat.
5. (C) Kubis said his message to Rahmonov on the
presidential
election,
building on Rahmonov’s own evaluation, was that his
genuine
support within Tajikistan gives him the opportunity to
conduct a
presidential election that will come closer to
international
standards — «We’re looking for progress, not
perfection.» Should Tajikistan show real progress in the
next
election,
it would gain increased respect and attention from the
West. Rahmonov responded that the elections would
be better,
but
wouldn’t meet «you’re your standards.» He quipped, «If you
can call
those recent laughable elections in Afghanistan
‘democratic,’
you won’t have too much right to criticize Tajik
elections.»
UNWAVERING
SUPPORT FOR THE ANTI-TERRORIST COALITION
6. (C) According to Kubis, Rahmonov’s described
Afghanistan as
stabilizing
but with a long way still to go.
Rahmonov said
without
any hesitation that Tajikistan «will continue to support
the
anti-terrorist coalition and will cooperate fully.» Kubis
said the
question of a U.S. military base in Tajikistan to
replace
Karshi-Khanabad did not come up explicitly, but he was
DUSHANBE
00000502 002 OF 003
convinced
Rahmonov was sending a clear signal that he would be
open to
considering such cooperation.
(COMMENT: Rahmonov’s
formulation
is very close to the wording he used with Secretary
of
Defense Rumsfeld in July 2005 and in October with Secretary
of State
Rice. END COMMENT.)
7. (C) Continuing on Afghanistan, Rahmonov said
he wants to
make a
push for Afghanistan to join the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization
(SCO) as a full member. That would give
three
«small
states» — Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan — voices to
balance
the three «big states» — Kazakhstan, and the dominant
powers
Russia and China.
«DO
NOT INVADE IRAN»
8. (C) Kubis reported Rahmonov said Tajikistan’s
relations with
Iran are
stable. He admitted that Tajikistan had
been leery of
President
Amadinejad at first, but has not yet seen any evidence
that he
is attempting to export his hard-line positions to
Tajikistan. Rahmonov added he is not at all happy with
Iran’s
nuclear
ambitions, but he forcefully advocated against any
military
action against Tehran. He told Kubis,
«Iran is not a
house of
cards like Iraq was. It is strong,
relatively rich,
and the
population is generally unified and nationalistic.
Further, with
10 million Iranians abroad, it has to be taken
into
consideration how many of them would be radicalized by a
Western
military assault on Iran.»
«WHO
CAN DO ANYTHING WITH UZBEKISTAN?»
9. (C) Rahmonov, said Kubis, went on at length,
highly
criticizing
Karimov’s Uzbekistan. He evidenced great
exasperation
that Tashkent is preventing regional integration.
He
expressed guarded hope that Uzbekistan’s recent accession to
the
Eurasian Economic Community (EEC) will mitigate some of
Karimov’s
recalcitrance in the region because on June 1
Uzbekistan
will have to begin meeting EEC standards on demining
borders,
visa regimes, and transportation links among members.
Rahmonov
also said he hopes Uzbekistan joins the Collective
Security
Treaty Organization because that would give Tajikistan
a
legal-entity forum to insist that Karimov stop using exiled
Tajik
Colonel Khudoberdiyev as a threat against Tajikistan. But
in the
end, Rahmonov said, there’s little hope for any
improvement
so long as Karimov sits in Tashkent.
«WE
AREN’T ANYONE’S PUPPETS»
10. (C) Speaking of Tajikistan vis-`-vis the
major powers,
Rahmonov
told Kubis, «We don’t want to be puppets in anyone’s
hands. We know some are playing with us, but we want
to keep
all
channels open. If we are treated
honestly and with respect,
we will
respond equally.» Kubis commented
to the Ambassador he
took this
to mean that Rahmonov is reasonably cautious about
Russia’s
full-court press. The Ambassador said
his message to
Rahmonov
is that the U.S. does not play zero-sum games.
We
recognize
Russia’s natural interests in the region.
At the same
time, we
want to ensure Tajikistan’s sovereignty and
independence
and that it not become a less-than-sovereign
satellite
of any power. Kubis said that is exactly
the same
message
he gave Rahmonov.
CALMER
ABOUT «COLOR REVOLUTIONS»
11. (C) Kubis commented he had last talked with
Rahmonov Fall
2005 in
Paris and had found him then somewhat obsessed with
«color
revolutions.» This meeting,
Rahmonov was much more calm
DUSHANBE
00000502 003 OF 003
and
self-confident. About «color
revolutions,» Rahmonov told
Kubis,
«We have to be vigilant, of course, but we understand
they are
caused mostly by economic issues.»
TAJIKISTAN
NEEDS A FULL EU MISSION
12. (C) The Ambassador commented he had recently
seen an
excellent
read-out of DAS Bryza’s consultations with the EU, and
had been
struck with the European comment that the EU is
«ham-strung»
disbursing its considerable assistance in
Tajikistan
by lack of personnel on the ground. He
suggested to
Kubis it
might be time for Brussels to consider establishing a
full
mission in Dushanbe, given its assistance investment and
given Tajikistan’s
emerging status as an island of stability and
growth on
Afghanistan’s border. (NOTE: The EU currently has an
«office»
of only four people in Dushanbe headed by a
working-level
staffer. END NOTE.) Although his EU colleagues
looked a
tad pained, Kubis said he thought that was an excellent
suggestion,
and he would be glad to press it in Brussels,
especially
since it would help support «the corridor of reform.»
He invited the Ambassador to Brussels, at his
convenience, to
brief on
Tajikistan and the region.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56829
date:
3/16/2006 14:02
refid:
06DUSHANBE509
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
header:
VZCZCXRO1051
PP RUEHLN
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE
RUEHDBU #0509/01 0751402
ZNR UUUUU
ZZH
P 161402Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6987
INFO
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA PRIORITY 1451
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING PRIORITY 1487
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN PRIORITY 1475
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1432
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL PRIORITY 1377
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON PRIORITY 1439
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1401
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS PRIORITY 1329
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO PRIORITY 1246
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1028
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO PRIORITY 1471
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE PRIORITY 1522
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0820
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE PRIORITY 8128
——————
header ends —————-
UNCLAS
SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000509
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA, EUR/ACE, EUR/RUS, EB, R, S/P
E.O.
12958: N/A
TAGS:
PREL, PGOV, ECON, KDEM, KPAO, RS, CH, IR, AF, ZK, KG, TI
SUBJECT:
DUSHANBE HOSTS INAUGURAL SCA REGIONAL REPORTING OFFICERS
CONFERENCE
DUSHANBE
00000509 001.2 OF 002
1. Embassy Dushanbe hosted the first-ever
reporting officers
conference
for Central and South Asia March 10-11 to discuss
challenges
of reporting in the age of transformational diplomacy
and to
identify emerging trends in crosscutting issues.
Officers
from Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Afghanistan,
Russia and Washington participated. This
proved
especially
pertinent for the Central Asian countries, ruled by
authoritarian
leaders who are wary of «color revolutions,» and
harbor
vested institutional interests opposed to political and,
in some
cases, economic reform.
WHAT WE
CAN DO
2. Several deliverables emerged during the
conference.
Reporting
officers agreed to coordinate simultaneous
dissemination
of reports from each post on key issues possibly
including,
corruption, energy infrastructure, migration,
organized
crime, border issues, water rights, agriculture,
media,
and succession dynamics. Some officers
also agreed to
coordinate
a joint trip and report on the Ferghana valley.
Finally,
neighboring post officers agreed to visit Afghanistan
to meet
with Provincial Reconstruction Teams, security
permitting,
to explore cross-border issues such as trade,
demining,
and counter narcotics efforts.
PROMOTING
TRANSFORMATIONAL DEMOCRACY
3. The group wrestled with how to best promote
«democracy.»
Good
governance is in its infancy in Central Asia, and ideas
such as
democracy and freedom of the press are radical indeed.
Some
suggested that instead of pushing for democracy with a
«capital
D,» and to avoid host governments’ fears of another
«color
revolution,» posts could promote programs that advocate
democratic
values such as accountability, transparency, good
governance,
and civic responsibility.
ECONOMIC
INVESTMENTS
4. Conference participants agreed on the need to
examine the
question
of how to promote U.S. economic interests when faced
with much
larger foreign investments by governments of regional
powers
and a less than transparent business and investment
climate. Economic growth is moving ahead at a fast
pace, with
or
without the United States. Although
governments need
legislative,
institutional, and regulatory reform for true
economic
progress, the carrot of foreign direct investment from
Russia,
Iran, or China without associated pressure for
international
standard practices, or political or economic
strings
is too tempting. Russia and China are
increasingly
using
their membership in regional organizations such as the
Shanghai
Cooperation Organization and Eurasian Economic
Community
to influence Central Asia for their own interests,
interests
which for now are similar.
REGIONAL
INTEGRATION
5. On regional integration, some Central Asian
governments,
notably
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, are eager to tap into the
economic
benefits of Afghan regional integration, including
hydropower,
electricity lines, and increased trade and
transportation
links. Water sharing issues,
agricultural
problems
(especially in cotton production), and labor migration
problems
could also be addressed at the regional level.
Regional
political cooperation remains important to tackle
cross-border
terrorism, narcotics smuggling, and trafficking in
persons. Russia’s influence in the region is strong
and
historical,
and Moscow will do whatever it can to maintain
stability
and retain dominance in energy issues.
Some posts
frequently
face negative press campaigns against the United
States
that Russia surely had a hand in initiating.
As the
Central
Asian states and their neighbors increasingly interact
DUSHANBE
00000509 002.2 OF 002
in these
areas, post reporting officers can help keep Washington
informed
on cross-border developments and their policy
implications
by cooperating on the ground through joint
reporting
and regular exchange of information.
WE NEED
MORE EXCHANGES!
6. Officers all agreed recent cuts in public
diplomacy budgets
throughout
the region severely hinder U.S. efforts to promote
democracy,
human rights, and reform, but identified some areas
to focus
on to maximize the «bang for the buck.» The
International
Visitors Program (IVP) is one of the best tools to
expose
local leaders to democratic practices because IVP
participants
return to their home countries with exposure to
Western
democratic values that can shape their careers in public
service. The payoff for such programs can be measured
in
decades
of their government (or business) careers, in exchange
for just
a few weeks or months spent in the United States. The
same
holds true for student exchange programs.
The programs do
not
necessarily have to be in the United States — exposure to
Asian
democracies could be instructive, and a way to reinforce
growing
ties to South Asia.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56972
date:
3/17/2006 10:49
refid:
06DUSHANBE511
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
UNCLASSIFIED
destination:
06DUSHANBE329|06DUSHANBE394
header:
VZCZCXRO2579
PP RUEHLN
RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE
RUEHDBU #0511 0761049
ZNR UUUUU
ZZH
P 171049Z
MAR 06
FM
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6991
INFO
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA
WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA
WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL
SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY
ANKARA 1453
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY
BEIJING 1489
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY
BERLIN 1477
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY
ISLAMABAD 1434
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY
KABUL PRIORITY 1379
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY
LONDON 1441
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY
NEW DELHI 1403
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY
PARIS 1331
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY
TOKYO 1248
RUEKJCS/SECDEF
WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ
USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ
USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUCNDT/USMISSION
USUN NEW YORK 1030
RUEHNO/USMISSION
USNATO 1473
RUEHVEN/USMISSION
USOSCE 1524
RUEHBS/USEU
BRUSSELS 0822
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY
DUSHANBE 8132
——————
header ends —————-
UNCLAS
DUSHANBE 000511
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR
SCA/CEN, DRL
E.O.
12958: N/A
TAGS:
PGOV, PREL, PROP, KIRF, SOCI, TI
SUBJECT:
TAJIKISTAN: LEGAL ADVISOR TO TELL RABBI HE HAS NO LEGAL
CASE;
RABBI REMAINS IN DENIAL
REF: A)
DUSHANBE 0329 B) DUSHANBE 0394
1. Rabbi Mikhail Abdurahmonov continues to hold
out hope the
government
of Tajikistan will spare the Dushanbe synagogue and
has
sought legal advice from Dushanbe’s Civil Society Support
Center. When PolOff asked the Rabbi about the future
of the
synagogue,
he refused to think about what concrete steps he
should
take to relocate the already half demolished synagogue.
He
frequently referenced conversations with government officials
from 2004
and promises of land and assistance made then by
officials
and Jewish expatriates, promises that may have been
well
intended but were never put in writing.
2. Abdurahmonov told PolOff that with all the
media attention
on the
synagogue’s destruction, he hopes the government of
Tajikistan
will give the community a new plot of land and a
building. He also continues to believe that Jews from
abroad
will be
able to come up with a large sum of money or alternative
solution
to the synagogue’s problems, even though they have not
been able
to do so for the past three years.
3. The Rabbi has engaged a lawyer from the Civil
Society
Support
Center in Dushanbe, Abduzarif Mukhturov, for legal
advice. Rabbi Abdurahmonov presented Mukhturov with
all of the
synagogue’s
legal documents in hopes that he would have a legal
case to
protect the synagogue. After reviewing
the documents,
Mukhturov
told PolOff the synagogue has no legal case.
He
commented
that it would be futile to attempt to fight the
government
in the court system on this issue. All
documents
show that
the government owns the synagogue structure since it
was
nationalized in 1951. Mukhturov said the
best possible
outcome
would be that the synagogue receives $300 in
compensation. This amount is based on his estimates of
government
rates for past structural compensation, which is
typically
far from fair market value.
4. Mukhturov has not yet informed Rabbi
Abdurahmonov of his
legal
opinion, but will meet with him in the next few days. He
will
explain that unless the Rabbi can find supporting
documents,
such as tax payments, that show the synagogue is
private
property and belongs to someone other than the
government,
they will have an extremely weak to hopeless case in
court. He will try to convince the Rabbi that he
needs to start
thinking
about the synagogue’s future in another location,
rather
than protecting the current property.
5. COMMENT:
Abdurahmonov was ill the day PolOff met with him
and had
refused earlier meetings with other international
organizations. He still claims that the synagogue is 100
years
old (it
was built in 1947) and this is an infringement of
religious
freedom (it’s a land dispute; two Muslim structures in
the
vicinity have also been torn down without compensation). He
expects
international organizations to sail in and help him,
even as
half of the building has already been demolished. His
inability
to constructively engage the government and move
forward
psychologically on the issue, even at this last hour,
has
hindered Dushanbe’s Jewish community from any chance of
getting higher
compensation from the government. Even
knowing
that he
has no legal case, the Rabbi will still probably attempt
to prove
that the synagogue is private property.
The
government,
meanwhile, has already made the decision to convert
the area
into a park and will not relinquish, regardless of
legal or
international pressure. To protect the
poor and
disenfranchised
Jews of Dushanbe, it is essential that Jewish
expatriate
communities step in and help their own.
END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
=======================CABLE
ENDS============================
id: 56988
date:
3/17/2006 11:58
refid:
06DUSHANBE513
origin:
Embassy Dushanbe
classification:
CONFIDENTIAL
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C O N F I
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