VZCZCXRO9581
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #0889/01 0671011
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 081011Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5443
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES  PRIORITY
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT PRIORITY 0146
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY 0006
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK PRIORITY 0326
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE PRIORITY 0030
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 5767
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT PRIORITY 0211

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000889 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/05/2017 
TAGS: PREL FR ZK
SUBJECT: A/S BOUCHER'S MEETING WITH HIS MFA COUNTERPART ON 
CENTRAL ASIA 
 
 
PARIS 00000889  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT FOR REASO 
NS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Jean-Francois Terral, A/S-equivalent for 
non-EU Europe and Central Asia, told Assistant Secretary for 
South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher on March 1 
that France supported Germany,s engagement in Central Asia 
and fully backed EU Special Representative (EUSR) Pierre 
Morel,s strategy.  Terral welcomed Turkmenistan Foreign 
Minister Meredov,s agreement to attend an EU Troika/Central 
Asian Foreign Ministers, meeting in Astana to discuss the 
new EU strategy, calling it a positive political signal. 
Terral was pessimistic, however, about Turkmenistan,s 
ability to make significant progress, adding that France was 
in a "wait and see" mode. He expressed concern over 
Uzbekistan,s cancellation of a second round of talks with 
the EU on Andijon and stressed that he and his counterparts 
in other member states were lobbying the Uzbeks to 
reconsider.  On Kazakhstan,s Organization for Security 
Cooperation in Europe 2009 Chairmanship bid, Terral agreed 
with Boucher that the Kazakhstanis needed to show results on 
reform, though he noted that he is concerned France would 
likely be satisfied with a "fig leaf."  Terral also concurred 
with Boucher,s judgment that Kyrgyzstan was in disarray. He 
described the situation as regime collapse, followed by chaos 
and power grabbing.  Boucher saw EU Special Representative 
Morel on the margins of the meeting with Terral.  They 
discussed the EU dialogue with Uzbekistan, the OSCE 2009 
Chairmanship bid by Kazakhstan, and Morel,s upcoming 
travels. END SUMMARY 
 
FRANCE SUPPORTS GERMANY AND MOREL 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) Terral told Boucher on March 1 that while France had 
"no new or original ideas on the situation," it was following 
Germany,s lead on Central Asia and was supportive of its 
efforts.  He added that his bureau was the "back office" for 
EU Special Representative Pierre Morel and stressed that 
"France and Germany would guarantee a satisfactory 
continuation" of the EU strategy in the region throughout the 
Portuguese and Slovenian presidencies.  Terral said that the 
EU would hold a meeting of Central Asia Foreign Ministers in 
Astana on March 28, where the EU troika would present its new 
strategy for the region. Turkmenistan Foreign Minister 
Meredov has already agreed to attend, something the EU saw as 
a good political signal on regional cooperation.  Terral also 
expressed hope that the EU plan would lead to more 
constructive and organized dialogue with Russia about the 
region; the Russians "feel at home" in Central Asia, he said. 
 
WAIT AND SEE IN TURKMENISTAN 
---------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C) Boucher explained U.S. thinking on Turkmenistan, 
including efforts to engage with the newly elected government 
on reform and energy issues, as well the need for the 
international community to express encouragement.  Terral 
responded that, "I have no idea about Turkmenistan.  Everyone 
is excited, but I think we will just wait and see." He 
estimated that expectations about progress in the country may 
be exaggerated.  "The Turkmen are saying some good things," 
he said, but once the regime is threatened by change, Terral 
feared it would slip back into old habits.  Getting 
Turkmenistan out of Russia,s grip, he surmised, was the most 
serious challenge. 
 
EU/UZBEKISTAN AND ANDIJON 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Terral flatly stated that France did not care for the 
Karimov regime but was also not in favor of isolating it.  He 
judged EU efforts to engage in dialogue as essential and said 
that France supported opening a second track (in addition to 
human rights) of talks on security.  Islamic radicals, Terral 
said, posed a security concern for Uzbekistan, and by 
extension, the entire region.  Terral informed Boucher that 
Uzbekistan had just cancelled a second round of talks with 
the EU on Andijon, and that he and his European counterparts 
would be lobbying for reconsideration.  Boucher noted that 
any lifting of sanctions should only come as the result of 
demonstrated progress on the part of the Karimov regime. 
 
KAZAKHSTAN; OSCE 2009 
--------------------- 
 
PARIS 00000889  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) Kazakhstan is the most important country in the region 
for France, Terral noted.  The vast amounts of energy 
resources and uranium deposits make the country strategically 
significant.  He agreed with Boucher,s assessment that 
Kazakhstan needed to invest more in its neighbors, and said 
the EU would encourage the Kazakhstanis to do more in 
Turkmenistan.  Unfortunately, Terral noted, Chirac would not 
be going to Astana as originally planned, which diminished 
the opportunities for any serious bilateral engagement. 
 
¶6. (C) Terral agreed with Boucher on the need to see 
demonstrated progress on democratic reform before endorsing 
Kazakhstan for the OSCE 2009 Chairmanship, and expressed 
concern that France would likely be convinced by a "fig 
leaf."  He noted, however, that the EU message to Kazakhstan 
was the same in substance as that of the U.S. Boucher said we 
wanted to support the Kazakhstani bid but would need some 
substantial advancements from Nazerbayev, such as judicial 
reform and the transfer of some powers to parliament as 
outlined in his recent speech. 
 
KYRGYZSTAN 
---------- 
 
¶7. (C) Kyrgyzstan, Terral said, was in complete disarray.  He 
dismissed the idea of a revolution in the country, 
characterizing the situation as a regime collapse which was 
followed by chaos and power grabbing.  He was not optimistic 
that the government would find stability in the near term. 
 
PIERRE MOREL 
------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Boucher met briefly with EU Special Representative 
Pierre Morel on the margins of his meeting with Terral. 
Morel briefed on his efforts to get Uzbekistan to come to a 
previously agreed second meeting with the EU to discuss human 
rights and Andijon.  He was not surprised at the Uzbek move, 
but thought it was in everyone,s best interest to get them 
back at the table.  Boucher said Deputy Assistant Secretary 
Feigenbaum was in Tashkent and could assist, if asked.  Morel 
said he preferred handling it through EU channels for the 
moment, but did not rule out U.S. intervention at a later 
time.  Morel confirmed the March 28 EU Troika meeting with 
Foreign Ministers and said he saw Meredov,s confirmed 
attendance as an excellent political signal. Boucher briefly 
touched on the U.S. position regarding Kazakhstan,s OSCE 
2009 Chairmanship bid, to which Morel said he "completely 
agreed." 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶9. (C) Terral was not well briefed nor particularly engaged 
on the issues.  His relaxed attitude likely reflects his 
imminent departure to become the new French Ambassador to 
Serbia.  It was clear, however, that France is working 
closely at the COEST level with the Germans and EUSR Pierre 
Morel to move the EU agenda in the region forward. 
 
¶10. (U) This message has been cleared by SCA Senior Advisor 
Caitlin Hayden. 
 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
STAPLETON