VZCZCXRO4041
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0359/01 0721617
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131617Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9788
INFO RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1967
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1944
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1870
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 1189
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 1417
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 2046
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2012
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1804
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0148
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2021
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1604
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1623
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1774
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 1925
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1406
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 0147

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000359 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
STATE FOR EUR/RPM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM TI
SUBJECT: OSCE OK IN TAJIKISTAN - AMBASSADOR FINLEY MEETS WITH TAJIK 
FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
REF: A) DUSHANBE 206,  B) DUSHANBE 262 
 
DUSHANBE 00000359  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY.  During their meeting March 7 with Tajik 
Foreign Minister Zaripov, U.S. Permanent Representative to the 
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 
Ambassador Julie Finley, and Ambassador Jacobson discussed the 
future of the OSCE in Tajikistan.  The Tajik Permanent 
Representative in Vienna has expressed dissatisfaction with the 
work of the OSCE here, and the Foreign Minister has proposed to 
downgrade the OSCE presence in Dushanbe to a project office (ref 
A).  However, during his meeting with Ambassador Finley, Zaripov 
offered a more positive spin.  He explained that the Tajik 
government wants to retain the OSCE's programs in democracy and 
human rights, but bring up to the same level a focus on economic 
development issues.  Zaripov also elaborated on his proposal 
(ref A) to move a branch of the OSCE Economic Forum, currently 
based in Prague, to Dushanbe.  Ambassadors Finley and Jacobson 
also pressed Zaripov on a draft law on associations that would 
severely restrict the ability of non-governmental organizations 
to operate in Tajikistan.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Tajikistan is not anti-OSCE, Zaripov asserted, 
remarking that "Tajikistan is very different from Uzbekistan." 
He also said Tajikistan's views differed from "Putin's speech in 
Germany," where Putin questioned the OSCE's effectiveness and 
goals.  On the contrary, the Foreign Ministry's aim is to 
increase the OSCE's activity in Tajikistan by adding economic 
programs to facilitate infrastructure development.  Zaripov 
argued that recent achievements in the country argue for the 
Tajik government and OSCE to update the OSCE Center's mandate 
which was established in 2002. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Zaripov also requested that the OSCE create a 
structure in Dushanbe to deal with regional economic and 
environmental issues, especially water and energy, roads and 
communications, and movement of people and goods across borders. 
 The unit would operate as a sub-structure to the 
Economic/Environmental Forum in Prague, and would provide a 
better vantage point for the OSCE to understand and address 
regional economic issues.  (Note: Zaripov walked this proposal 
back from earlier Tajik requests to relocate the entire OSCE 
Economic Forum to Dushanbe.  End note.)  Ambassadors Finley and 
Jacobson both supported the idea of discussing this proposal 
further.  The Ambassadors also noted that they would like to see 
the OSCE more involved in Afghanistan, working on border 
security and training, and cross-border irrigation and water 
issues. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Ambassador Jacobson noted that a seriously flawed 
draft law on public associations (ref B) passed the lower house 
of parliament in the dark of night with no consultations with 
the international community or Tajik civil society.  She said 
that Tajikistan has a history of respect for working with 
non-governmental organizations, and that this law would be a 
giant step backwards.  (Note: Ambassador Jacobson reiterated 
this point in the short press conference following the meeting, 
prompting a frantic ministry official to signal that the 
interview was over. End note.)  Zaripov requested that the 
Embassy submit its particular objections to the law in writing 
to the government, which post did by diplomatic note on March 9. 
 (Note: Ambassador shared the note with European Union 
Ambassadors March 12; they are planning to submit similar notes. 
End note.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Zaripov raised and supported the issue of the Kazakh 
chairmanship of the OSCE in 2009, arguing that today's newly 
 
DUSHANBE 00000359  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
configured OSCE, with more countries and partner nations east of 
Vienna, should allow for Central Asian leadership.  Ambassador 
Finley replied that while the U.S. has an excellent relationship 
with Kazakhstan, the OSCE is more than a political/military and 
economic organization, and Kazakhstan's lack of progress on 
human dimension issues prevents the United States from 
supporting Kazakhstan's request.  She noted that the U.S. 
supports Kazakhstan's aspirations, and we continue to provide 
Kazakhstan assistance so they can improve their performance on 
political and human rights issues. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) COMMENT:  The U.S. Ambassadors welcomed Zaripov's 
assurances on the future of the OSCE in Tajikistan, although 
others in the Tajik government may not share his positive 
assessment of the OSCE's role, and Zaripov's remarks were 
clearly pitched to his audience.  While the OSCE Center has 
stagnated here over the past year, due in part to absent or 
unengaged leadership, Ambassador Finley pressed Zaripov for time 
to give the newly arrived Charge and incoming Head of Center a 
chance to turn things around.  The OSCE can play a vital 
development role here if it can focus on all three pillars of 
the OSCE mandate.    END COMMENT. 
JACOBSON