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FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2699
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RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1063
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RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0065
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 0029

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002992 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2026 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KZ KG UZ TI TX JA
SUBJECT: A/S BOUCHER'S MAY 30 MEETING WITH EUROPEAN DDG 
YAGI ON CENTRAL ASIA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer.  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  MOFA DDG for Europe Takeshi Yagi told 
visiting SCA A/S Richard Boucher that Japan will hold its 
second round of Foreign Ministerial-level talks with Central 
Asian nations on Monday, June 5.  Tokyo hopes the Central 
Asian countries will adopt an Action Plan that will include 
inter-regional cooperation and other areas covered in a 
diagram that he passed to the Assistant Secretary. 
Attendance at the meeting is still undecided and Yagi pointed 
out that a Russian official said that the talks were an 
"unuseful" rival to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization 
(SCO).  Afghanistan's Foreign Minister will also attend the 
meeting and Tokyo will stress the importance of its 
integration through regional projects such as the 
construction of a highway from Tajikistan to Afghanistan. 
DDG Yagi said that Japanese Foreign Minister Aso told Uzbeki 
Deputy Prime Minister Azimov during his Tokyo visit in May 
that the Japanese government wants more efforts towards 
democratization and respect for human rights.  The Japanese 
government slashed ODA to Uzbekistan dramatically last year 
to the two million USD level.  Japan hopes that Uzbekistan 
will better resist efforts to be pushed further into the 
Russian camp.  DDG Yagi noted that Japan, the U.S. and the EU 
are limited in their Central Asian participation compared to 
Russia and called for close coordination of Western efforts. 
End summary. 
 
Japan-Central Asia Foreign Ministerial Talks 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  During a May 30 meeting, MOFA DDG for Europe Takeshi 
Yagi briefed visiting SCA A/S Richard Boucher on plans for 
Japan's second Foreign Ministerial level consultations with 
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kygyzstan, Tajikistan and 
Turkmenistan on June 5 in Tokyo.  These consultations started 
two years ago after then Foreign Minister Yuriko Kawaguchi's 
trip to Kazakhstan in August 2004 resulted in the group's 
first meeting.  Although Tokyo wanted to meet last summer, 
the Japanese Diet elections intervened and required MOFA to 
postpone the meeting, DDG Yagi explained.  This year Japan 
has also invited Afghanistan, and Afghan Foreign Minister 
Rangeen Spanta has indicated he will attend.  Japan hopes the 
group can adopt a five-point Action Plan, which would include 
greater intra-regional cooperation.  DDG Yagi provided A/S 
Boucher with a diagram outline of the Action Plan. 
 
¶3.  (c)  Attendance is still undecided, noted DDG Yagi. 
Turkmenistan had initially indicated it would send its 
Foreign Minister but notified Tokyo on May 30 that it would 
not send anyone -- a move anticipated by MOFA.  Kazakhstan 
has designated its Deputy Foreign Minister as a "Special 
Envoy" to the meeting.  The Uzbek and Tajik governments have 
promised attendance by their Foreign Ministers, but one can 
never be sure of who will attend until the day of the 
meetings, DDG Yagi said. 
 
Russian unease with Japan's approach to Central Asia 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  Upon hearing from A/S Boucher of Moscow's attempts 
to dissuade Central Asian countries from attending a recent 
U.S.- Central Asia meeting on narcotics in Dushanbe, DDG Yagi 
opined that the Russians may also be trying to interfere with 
Japan's upcoming talks.  A Russian official told DDG Yagi 
that the SCO has produced actual cooperation in the region 
and called approaches by other countries to establish 
separate mechanisms "unuseful."  A/S Boucher encouraged Japan 
to continue to pursue stronger ties with Central Asia, noting 
the SCO has not produced much substantively and the 
development of alternatives to Russia and China is good. 
While the U.S. does not seek to cut out Russia or China, the 
recent ability of Kazakhstan to renegotiate with Gazprom 
demonstrates that Central Asian countries need options to 
ensure their fair treatment. 
 
Afghanistan 
----------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  DDG Yagi agreed with A/S Boucher on the importance 
 
TOKYO 00002992  002 OF 002 
 
 
of involving Afghanistan in regional integration efforts.  At 
next week,s conference, Tokyo will stress Afghanistan's role 
in the region and highlight the importance of projects such 
as the construction of the highway from Tajikistan to 
Afghanistan and the building of the Afghan ring road.  Japan 
will also encourage the gas pipeline project from 
Turkmenistan to Pakistan, even though its development is a 
long shot, DDG Yagi said.  A/S Boucher expressed appreciation 
for Japan's support in Afghanistan and the Indian Ocean. 
 
Uzbekistan Woes 
--------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Responding to A/S Boucher's observation that Prime 
Minister Karimov is closing off contacts and options with the 
West to move closer to Moscow, DDG Yagi said that during 
Deputy Prime Minister Asimov's Tokyo visit in May, Foreign 
Minister Aso told him that Japan wants Uzbekistan's 
government to make greater efforts toward democratization and 
respect for human rights.  Japan slashed its 10 million USD 
development assistance program back to 2 million USD last 
year, including no ODA loans.  The Uzbek government suspects 
that Tokyo is linking its ODA program to greater respect for 
human rights.  DDG Yagi said that although the Japanese 
government does not want to drive the Uzbekis into the 
Russian corner, it wants to send them a message. 
 
Western cooperation key 
----------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  DDG Yagi said that Japan has limited influence in 
Central Asia compared to Russia.  Therefore, it is important 
for the U.S., Japan and the EU to coordinate efforts.  With 
joint efforts we can achieve good results in Central Asia and 
counter Russian influence, he stated. 
 
¶8.  (U)  Participants: 
 
United States 
------------- 
 
SCA A/S Richard Boucher 
Joseph Donovan, Deputy Chief of Mission 
Ann Kambara, Embassy notetaker 
Joel Ehrendreich, Embassy Poloff 
 
Japan 
----- 
 
Takeshi Yagi, Deputy Director General for Europe, MOFA 
Fumio Iwai, Director, Second Middle Eastern Division, MOFA 
 
¶9.  (U)  A/S Boucher cleared this message. 
 
SCHIEFFER