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FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 005549 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ENRG EPET PBTS TRGY OVIP IN KZ KG
PK, TX, TI, IR, NP, CH, BG 
SUBJECT: SCA A/S BOUCHER MEETS WITH GOI CENTRAL ASIA CHIEF 
 
 
Classified By: Charge Geoff Pyatt for reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
 ¶1.  SUMMARY: Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher used an 
August 7 meeting with Minister of External Affairs Joint 
Secretary (Eurasia) Jaimini Bhagwati to brief on current U.S. 
 
SIPDIS 
relations with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan and to probe India's 
relationships with Central Asia.  Boucher specifically urged 
the Government of India to help strengthen the Kyrgyz 
parliament. Boucher and Bhagwati discussed various plans now 
on the table to transfer energy between Central Asia, India, 
and Pakistan. Boucher also gleaned information from Bhagwati 
on India's educational outreach programs to its Central Asian 
neighbors, and he shared U.S. ideas to get more involved. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
India Thinks Uzbekistan Not Quite Ready for Prime-Time 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶2.  (C)  Bhagwati said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited 
Uzbekistan in April 2006 because it is "a part of our 
neighborhood," is strategically located, has a huge urban 
population, and a senior Indian had not visited in some time. 
 He added that "our relationship is on an even keel" and 
mentioned that Uzbekistan has sought closer economic 
relations with India, especially in the area of oil and gas 
sales. Bhagwati admitted this closer relationship would be 
difficult to fulfill, due to the fact that the Uzbek oil 
companies were state-owned and notoriously unforthcoming 
about their resource holdings and their business details. 
This lack of transparency, said Bhagwati, made it almost 
impossible for Indian petroleum companies to trust them 
enough to contemplate a deal seriously.  Bhagwati added that 
India and Uzebekistan had signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding on energy-trade, which he described as 
non-committal and perfunctory.  Boucher expressed surprise to 
hear that Uzbekistan had approached India with potential gas 
business, noting that all of their oil and gas deals seem to 
be dictated directly by Gazprom and Russia. 
 
Kyrgyzstan is Problematic 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Boucher described the currently strained relations 
between the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan, mentioning the tit-for-tat 
ejection of diplomats on both sides in the past few months. 
He stated that this was due to spurious allegations of 
wrongdoings by US diplomats.  Boucher added that the Kyrgyz 
"seem more interested in money than anything else," noting 
that they had agreed to accept USD 17 million to renew the 
lease of the U.S. military base on their territory.  Boucher 
urged Bhagwati to consider GOI support for democracy programs 
to try to empower the now-weak Kyrgyz parliament to better 
counterbalance the President.  Bhagwati replied that India 
has parliamentary exchanges with Tajikistan, and could send 
some Indian Members of Parliament to Kyrgyzstan, too. 
Bhagwati concurred that India was also concerned about drugs, 
killings and border issues in Kyrgyzstan. 
 
India Cautious on Power Deals 
----------------------------- 
 
NEW DELHI 00005549  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶4.  (C) Bhagwati mentioned that Tajik President Rahmonov 
would meet with the Prime Minister, President, National 
Security Advisor, Minister of Defense, and the Minister of 
Mines during his current visit.  Bhagwati specifically 
mentioned one "small" Tajik/Indian hydroelectric aid 
project,"Varzov 1," in which the Government of India is 
assisting the Tajiks in rehabilitating their outdated 
machinery. 
 
¶5.  (C) Boucher noted that the U.S. is working with 
Tajikistan on financing power-distribution projects, adding 
"we'll need as much power as we can get in Afghanistan." 
Boucher noted that the U.S. hopes to get both India and 
Pakistan to cooperate with this plan. 
 
¶6.  (C) Bhagwati replied cautiously that India is very eager 
to get more power from any source possible, but that it will 
remain skeptical until it sees some concrete, feasible plans. 
 "How will it reach us?" he queried, noting that there are 
border disputes with the both Pakistan and China, the two 
likeliest locations for cross-border energy transmission. 
Boucher suggested high-voltage lines through a more stable 
crossing, like Lahore, Pakistan as a workable solution. 
Bhagwati noted that India participated in June in the 
electricity conference in Istanbul, and would also attend the 
next one in Dushanbe in October. 
 
India puts all its faith in educational exchanges, for now 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Bhagwati lauded "Human Resource Development" as 
India's best and least expensive method to provide aid and 
generate goodwill with its Central Asian neighbors.  He spoke 
enthusiastically about the educational scholarships that 
India provides to roughly 50 - 100 students per Central Asian 
neighbor annually, who come to study English and technology 
programs.  Bhagwati also mentioned that the Indian Foreign 
Service Institute offers training to young Central Asian 
diplomats, as well as sending Indian diplomatic teachers 
directly to neighboring countries to instruct them there at 
home.  Bhagwati mentioned that India has set up information 
technology study-centers, modest ventures of a few rooms and 
computers, in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, but not 
yet in Turkemenistan, he admitted, adding, "it is a difficult 
country." 
 
¶8.  (C) Boucher lamented that the U.S. did not have the means 
to offer higher education study to anywhere near as many 
students as does India, due to the high cost of education in 
the U.S.  He then floated an informal proposal to Bhagwati, 
whereby the U.S. might pay for some Central Asian students to 
come to India to study on U.S. funded scholarships.  Bhagwati 
seemed agreeable to the proposal. 
 
Communication/Transport - the Achilles heel? 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (C) Boucher expressed frustration at the difficulty of 
getting the Central Asian nations to communicate and 
cooperate effectively with each other.  Bhagwati 
 
NEW DELHI 00005549  003 OF 003 
 
 
commiserated, noting, "In the past they never communicated 
directly with each other - all communication went through 
Moscow - now they are only learning how to talk to each 
other." 
 
¶10.  (C) Bhagwati noted that ground transportation was 
virtually impossible in that part of the world.  He stated 
that air travel, both passenger and freight, was a possible 
solution, but was still underdeveloped.  Bhagwati noted that 
there is no direct air connection from New Delhi to 
Tajikistan, only via Moscow or Almaty.  He avowed that there 
is plenty of demand for more air connections on the 
profit-focus of Indian carriers, and asked for U.S. ideas to 
create more air links. 
 
¶11. (C) COMMENT: While discussion did not yield any large 
breakthroughs, it is clear that India and the U.S. largely 
see eye-to-eye in Central Asia, and there is room for us to 
work well with India in this region. END COMMENT 
 
¶12.  (U) A/S Boucher cleared this message. 
 
¶13.  (U) Dushanbe Minimize Considered 
PYATT