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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001726 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM ASEC KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ FOREIGN MINISTER ON POLITICS, ECONOMY, 
SECURITY AND NGO PROBE 
 
REF: A. BISHKEK 1706 
     ¶B. BISHKEK 1701 
     ¶C. BISHKEK 1621 (NOTAL) 
     ¶D. BISHKEK 1602 (NOTAL) 
 
BISHKEK 00001726  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marie L. Yovanovitch, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY:  In a December 1 meeting, the Ambassador and 
Foreign Minister Jekshenkulov discussed the current 
political, economic and security situation; the Procurator 
General's probe into the National Democratic Institute (NDI), 
International Republican Institute (IRI) and IFES;, and 
Kyrgyz-U.S. bilateral relations.  On all fronts, the FM 
appeared positive, but he said concrete steps were needed to 
improve the economic situation.  Jekshenkulov said that 
Kyrgyzstan would naturally maintain closer ties with CIS 
countries, implying that strengthening ties with the West was 
difficult because of the systemic and geographic distances. 
The FM acknowledged the effective manner in which Kyrgyzstan 
and the U.S. have worked together on security and economic 
development issues.  Jekshenkulov said he had written to the 
Procurator General regarding the probe into our democracy 
partners, and he cautioned against considering the probe a 
"political action."  The Ambassador thanked the FM for the 
Kyrgyz Government's cooperation in the investigation of the 
abduction/car-jacking of the USAID Country Representative's 
wife.  END SUMMARY. 
 
THE NEED FOR A STRONG ECONOMY, ABOVE ALL 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) On December 1, the Ambassador met with Foreign 
Minister Alikbek Jekshenkulov to preview key issues prior to 
the FM's meeting with SCA DAS Evan Feigenbaum December 3 at 
the OSCE Ministerial in Brussels.  They discussed the current 
political, economic, and security situation; the Procurator 
General's investigation of NDI, IRI and IFES; and Kyrgyz-U.S. 
bilateral relationship.  The FM was generally positive about 
the bilateral relationship, as well as Kyrgyzstan's political 
and economic development, but he also emphasized the 
importance of U.S. assistance to economic development.  As an 
example of the ways in which the U.S. could provide 
assistance in this area, Jekshenkulov referred to the 
Kyrgyz-American Business Council and the Fund for the Support 
of Entrepreneurs -- two mechanisms that existed some years 
ago.  Jekshenkulov added that once the overall economic 
situation improved, all other bilateral political and 
security issues would "fall into place."  The Ambassador 
detailed for the FM some U.S. projects in the economic 
sphere, including an update on the Regional Energy Market 
Assistance Program (REMAP).  Jekshenkulov appeared 
interested, but said that detailed information about the 
project is necessary to determine priorities. 
 
¶3. (C) The FM noted that closer political and economic 
relations were easier to achieve with the countries of the 
CIS, than with the U.S., due to historical, systemic, and 
geographic ties with those countries.  Jekshenkulov said that 
Kyrgyzstan was "far from Europe" and the West, and thus "had 
no choice" but to stay closer to the Commonwealth.  The 
Ambassador said that a balance can exist with the West and 
CIS, referencing Kyrgyzstan's potential for increased energy 
exports and the USG's willingness to provide assistance in 
that area. 
 
CONFUSION OVER ACTIVITIES OF PROCURATOR GENERAL 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4. (C) Regarding the Procurator's probe into the local 
activities of NDI, IRI and IFES (Refs A and B), Jekshenkulov 
said that he sent a letter to the Procurator General, 
inquiring about the investigation.  He urged the Ambassador 
not to view the Procurator's activities as a "political 
action."  Jekshenkulov claimed that he was not aware of the 
details surrounding the probe, and that more information was 
needed before the MFA could respond to the Embassy's 
 
BISHKEK 00001726  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
diplomatic note on the matter.  The FM added that even Kyrgyz 
sometimes have trouble understanding each other and their 
motivations, making it much more difficult to comprehend what 
was happening.  The Ambassador said that it was difficult to 
understand the Procurator's probe as anything but a political 
signal, since the Procurator did not have a specific 
complaint against any of the three organizations, and all 
three are U.S. democracy NGOs. 
 
COOPERATION KEY FOR SECURITY 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) The Ambassador thanked the FM for the government's 
assistance and cooperation in the investigation into the 
abduction of the wife of the USAID Country Representative 
(Refs C and D).  Unaware of the particulars surrounding the 
case, Jekshenkulov did point out that crime -- organized 
crime in particular -- remains a problem in Kyrgyzstan, 
affecting MFA employees as well.  To help curb the activities 
of criminal elements throughout the country, the FM hoped 
that U.S. and Kyrgyz authorities could continue to cooperate 
in a constructive manner, to avoid the possibility of the 
Embassy having to issue a travel warning for Kyrgyzstan.  The 
Ambassador added that if the Embassy's Surveillance Detection 
Team had been in place, the incident might have been 
prevented.  The Ambassador also told the FM that she had 
already requested PM Kulov to take the matter of the SD Team 
under his jurisdiction for resolution, adding that the safety 
of Embassy employees and their families is a matter of great 
importance for all concerned parties, including the MFA. 
 
¶6. (C) COMMENT:  We are not certain to what the Foreign 
Minister was referring when he brought up the 
"Kyrgyz-American Business Council" and the "Fund for the 
Support of Entrepreneurs."  We have asked the MFA for 
additional information.  Over the years, there have been 
different proposals to promote business cooperation between 
the U.S. and Kyrgyzstan.  Several years ago, current MP 
Bolotbek Maripov and a group of Kyrgyz businessmen approached 
the Embassy to set up an organization that would enable 
Kyrgyz businesses to interact with their American 
counterparts, but the idea soon died without funding.  There 
was also a small group of businessmen and bankers that met on 
an ad hoc basis.  According to preliminary information from 
the MFA, a "Kyrgyz-American Business Council" was set up 
seven or eight years ago; it initially participated in 
meetings in the U.S. during Kyrgyz ministerial visits, but 
has otherwise been inactive.  (Note:  The FM was not 
referring to the American Chamber of Commerce in Kyrgyzstan, 
which was established in 2005 and has grown to approximately 
70 members.  End note).  With the "Fund for the Support of 
Entrepreneurs," the Foreign Minister may have been referring 
to request made earlier this year to USAID to fund a 
"Competitiveness Support Fund" and a proposal in 2004 to 
establish a "Kyrgyz-American Fund for Business Cooperation." 
We will continue to work with the MFA to develop further 
details of the FM's ideas, but we have our doubts whether 
such programs could produce positive results until Kyrgyzstan 
takes concrete steps to improve its business and investment 
climate. 
 
YOVANOVITCH