VZCZCXRO6171
PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0171/01 0331040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 021040Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9529
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1920
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0013
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 1118

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KPAO TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK FOREIGN MINISTER ZARIPOV'S BILATERAL WISH LIST FOR 
2007 
 
REF: (A) DUSHANBE 44, (B) DUSHANBE 34 
 
DUSHANBE 00000171  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary:  Foreign Minister Zaripov invited Ambassador 
February 1 to meet newly-appointed Ambassador to the United 
States Abdujabbor Shirinov, and to discuss his ideas for 
additional cooperation in 2007, including the opening of the 
U.S.-funded bridge at Nizhnii Pyanzh and the Millennium 
Challenge Corporation.  Ambassador raised the upcoming 
International Visitors program for senior bankers and expressed 
hope for positive results from a related meeting between Gerald 
Metals, Orienbank owner and "First Brother-in-Law" Sadulloyev, 
and the Deputy Director of the TadAZ aluminum smelter in 
February in Washington.  She also asked for the Minister's help 
in registering the National Democratic Institute and Freedom 
House, both of which would contribute to Tajikistan's Millennium 
Challenge aspirations.  Zaripov provided some information on 
President Rahmonov's international travels, and asked for U.S. 
assistance in closing down a U.S. based website he claimed was 
run as an "active measure" by Russian security services aimed at 
disrupting U.S. relations with the countries of Central Asia. 
End Summary. 
 
 New Ambassador 
 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  "Increase U.S. investment in Tajikistan and 
opportunities for Tajik students to study in the United States." 
 Shirinov plans to arrive in Washington mid-February and hopes 
to participate in the White House credentials ceremony February 
¶27.  (Note:  We conveyed to the Ministry today that Shirinov 
needs to be in Washington no later than February 13 to be 
included in the ceremony.) 
 
Zaripov's Wish List 
 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Zaripov again raised Tajikistan's interest in making 
the list of Millennium Challenge countries, and said this would 
be a top priority for Shirinov.  Ambassador said success was not 
an issue of lobbying, but rather taking concrete steps to 
improve Tajikistan's indicators.  Registration of the National 
Democratic Institute and Freedom House would be positive 
developments in the "governing justly" section of the 
indicators, especially as Freedom House has some responsibility 
for the rankings.  Zaripov said he was working with both the 
Ministry of Justice and State Committee on Security to move 
forward on the National Democratic Institute, but asked 
Ambassador to raise the issue at her meetings with the Minister 
of Justice and Director of Security.  Ambassador noted that the 
new Minister of Justice had thus far declined to meet.  (Note: 
This is as clear a statement as we have heard that the State 
Committee on National Security, long thought to be the main 
obstacle to the National Democratic Institute's work, is in fact 
the real problem). 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Zaripov again raised his interest in a splashy 
ceremony for the bridge opening in August, including senior U.S. 
representation.   He is also hoping to generate increased U.S. 
investment, noting the recent visit to Tajikistan of U.S.-listed 
energy company Canargo, which has received a concession to 
explore the possibility of extracting natural gas in 
Kurgan-Tube, and to generate more educational exchanges.  "Maybe 
in the future, we will have budgetary funds to send more 
students to the United States, as they do in Kazakhstan.  But 
for now we still need your help." 
 
Travelling Man 
 
------------------- 
 
 ¶5.  (SBU)  Zaripov characterized Rahmonov's recent trip to 
China as extremely positive, not only for the various commercial 
and educational agreements signed, but for the overall 
"umbrella" agreement on friendship and cooperation that will 
stimulate rapid development in the relationship.  (Note: 
Zaripov didn't share any figures on the new concessional loan 
agreements reached with China, but International Monetary Fund 
representatives told us this week that they are on the order of 
hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars, potentially raising 
Tajikistan's Debt to Gross Domestic Product ratio to as high as 
60 percent.  End Note.)  Rahmonov will travel to Egypt February 
4 and Syria three days later for meetings with his counterparts. 
 According to Zaripov, Rahmonov wants not only to build 
bilateral relations with countries in the Arab world, but also 
to share his experience in "peacefully resolving civil conflicts 
and working cooperatively with difficult neighbors." 
 
DUSHANBE 00000171  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
Shut Down that Pesky Website 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Zaripov raised the Arianastorm.com website, which he 
claims is based in Newcastle, Delaware.  According to Zaripov, 
Ibrahim Ismoyilov, who was the deputy state security committee 
chief for Tajikistan during Soviet times, runs the site with 
four students he had recruited from Isfara, "a hotbed of Islamic 
extremists."  Ismoyilov receives his instructions from 
opposition journalist Atabuloyev in Moscow, a known Russian 
Federal Security Service agent of influence, whom Moscow uses to 
destabilize relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and 
also to curb the growth of U.S. influence in Central Asia in 
general.  Zaripov was particularly incensed about stories that 
he personally is an "agent of the Central Intelligence Agency." 
Ambassador noted that the U.S. government does not control 
information published on the internet, to which Zaripov 
responded that "the U.S. Justice Department has the right to 
close down any website under the Patriot Act."  Ambassador said 
this is only true for websites promoting violence and terrorism. 
 (Note:  We feel Zaripov's pain; our embassy has also been the 
subject of some nasty attacks from this website.) 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment:  We appreciate Department's assistance in 
getting Shirinov included in the upcoming White House 
credentials ceremony.  We expect that Zaripov will still play 
the lead role for the Tajik side in driving the bilateral 
relationship.  Our challenge is to turn his enthusiasm and ideas 
into concrete steps forward.  End Comment. 
JACOBSON