VZCZCXRO5201
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0236/01 0341227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 031227Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6612
INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 1352
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1386
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 1390
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 1322
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 1263
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1352
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1296
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1257
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1153
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 0022
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0026
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USSOCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 1407
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0727
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1442
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0927
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 7711

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000236 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/RUS, EUR/PGI, SA S/CT, INL 
NSC FOR MERKEL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL RS TI
SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN:  RUSSIA KICKS OFF ITS G-8 YEAR 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00000236  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Please handle accordingly. 
Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Russian Ambassador convened the other 
G-8 ambassadors on February 2 to announce a cooperative effort 
during the Russian G-8 presidency.  Although this seems to be 
mostly a public relations effort, it is welcome.  We will seize 
the opportunity to promote concrete cooperation where possible, 
especially in counter-narcotics and counterterrorism.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (U) Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Ramazan Abdulatipov 
invited the representatives of the G-8 nations resident in 
Dushanbe to his embassy on February 2.  The UK, French, and U.S. 
ambassadors and the German and Japanese charges attended.  Italy 
and Canada do not have resident missions in Dushanbe.  Each 
participant received an information package that included a 
four-page history of Russia's participation in the G-7/G-8, two 
pages of press statements by President Putin on Russia's right 
to be in the G-8 (including from his January 31 press 
conference), and a five-point agenda proposal for the coming 
year: 
 
-- That the G-8 ambassadors meet quarterly during the year; 
 
-- That they conduct joint press conference on the progress of 
G-8 work in the region; 
 
-- That they organize regular joint meetings with Tajik 
officials responsible for combating narcotics and terrorism; 
 
-- That they organize informal meetings with the Tajik Ministry 
of Foreign Affairs to assess G-8 work in Tajikistan; and 
 
-- That an international conference take place in Fall 2006 in 
Dushanbe, "Energy and Ecological Security in Central Asia: 
Problems and Possibilities," organized by the German Ebert 
Foundation and the U.S. Marshall Fund, with participation by 
research centers from the United States, United Kingdom, France, 
and Japan, with the G-8 diplomatic corps and international media 
in attendance. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The UK Ambassador, given first response, welcomed the 
Russian initiative.  When the U.S. Ambassador praised the 
initiative and welcomed the Russian spirit of cooperation, 
Abdulatipov said that Russia wants to demonstrate that in 
Central Asia it can work with, rather than compete with, other 
countries.  The U.S. Ambassador asked if such G-8 "cooperative 
meetings" were taking place in the other Central Asian capitals, 
Ambassador Abdulatipov responded that "this is an initiative 
from our Foreign Ministry, of course."  The French Ambassador 
and the German Charge pressed for the local EU working-level 
representative to be included in all meetings "since the EU is a 
de facto member of the G-8."  Ambassador Abdulatipov demurred 
and said the meetings are for full members only, "although 
occasional observers will not be turned away." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The Russian initiative is a welcome public 
relations effort.  That said, the meeting at the Russian Embassy 
had an element of kabuki theater.  Abdulatipov, although 
formally cordial, appeared somewhat uneasy, and the meeting was 
relatively stiff.  There was a check-the-box quality to his 
effort.  Nevertheless, Embassy Dushanbe will use this Russian 
initiative to promote concrete Russian-U.S. efforts in 
 
DUSHANBE 00000236  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism, at the least.  END 
COMMENT. 
HOAGLAND