VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAK #1789/01 1940710
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130710Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO AMEMBASSY ZAGREB PRIORITY 0181

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001789 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR CHIEFS OF MISSION FROM AMBASSADOR WILSON 
PARIS ALSO FOR OECD 
E FOR U/S JEFFREY AND GREGORY MANUEL 
EEB FOR A/S SULLIVAN 
EUR FOR DAS BRYZA 
SCA FOR PDAS MANN 
DEPT PASS TDA FOR DAN STEIN 
DEPT PASS DOE FOR A/S HARBERT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EPET ENRG TU
SUBJECT: REGIONAL ENERGY COM CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 20-22 IN 
ISTANBUL 
 
REF: WILSON/COM EMAIL 7/10/07 
 
Dear Colleagues, 
 
¶1. (SBU) As discussed in ref email to many of you and based 
on the widespread interest among chiefs of mission in the 
area, Mission Turkey proposes to host a Regional Energy COM 
Conference in Istanbul on September 20-22, 2007.  Its purpose 
will be to consider our Caspian energy strategy and how we 
can work most effectively together to advance US goals in 
this area. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Russia's recent energy (and energetic) diplomacy 
reinforces the need for a well-coordinated and effective US 
diplomacy on behalf of energy security in Europe, the 
development of Caspian Basin energy resources, and diverse 
and competitive infrastructure to get those resources to the 
international marketplace.  Highly productive US diplomacy on 
Caspian energy in the 1990s and first part of this decade 
primarily involved work with a limited set of producer and 
transit countries and companies.  Success in the next stages 
of our Caspian energy strategy -- especially regarding gas 
and European energy security -- requires a much broader range 
of producer, transit and consumer countries, companies and 
other players.  Coordination and collaboration with 
Washington and among US missions in Central Asia, the 
Caucasus, and various parts of Europe will be essential. 
September should be an opportune time to take stock, review 
our key requirements and perspectives, and engage with one 
another and key Washington players on a common regional 
energy agenda and plan of action. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Agenda:  EEB A/S Sullivan recently circulated to 
many of us a Caspian Energy Strategy paper, and it should 
provide a good basis and starting point for our discussions. 
Among specific agenda items are the following. 
 
-- Gas supplies and key, relevant political constraints in 
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Iraq; 
what is the US doing and what should we do. 
 
-- Gas demand and the politics of consumer countries; how can 
the US shape demand and political factors to support our 
Caspian Basin strategy. 
 
-- Gas transit:  current and planned/possible pipelines, key 
political and commercial issues, transit and other framework 
agreements; US role, EU role. 
 
-- Regional cooperation on gas distribution and storage. 
 
-- Current oil supply and transit issues, including CPC, 
trans-Caspian shipping, Bosporus bypasses; US strategy. 
 
-- Russian energy acquisitions and strategy; how these relate 
to US and regional priorities; what should be our approach. 
 
-- Other factors:  commercial issues, EU role, Iran, China, 
etc. 
 
Your suggestions on the agenda and organization of the 
discussion will be very helpful over the coming weeks as we 
put this event together. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Attendees:  This conference is intended for regional 
chiefs of mission and key Washington players.  Addressee 
posts include Caspian producer, transit and Nabucco/TGI 
countries.  We have also included key European capitals and 
Baghdad, given Iraq's potential role in support of US energy 
security and other goals.  If posts and/or Washington 
agencies have suggestions of others in the field or in the US 
who ought to be included, please advise.  We recognize that 
some chiefs of mission may be unable to attend.  Decisions on 
alternates and additional invitees will depend on the overall 
numbers.  To ensure productive discussions, we plan on no 
more than about 30 participants. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Schedule:  Participants should plan to arrive in 
Istanbul by no later than about 6:00pm. on Thursday, 
September 20.  Our notional schedule is as follows: 
 
-- Thursday, September 20:  7:00pm Welcoming dinner hb Consul 
General 
 
ANKARA 00001789  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
-- Friday, September 21:  COM conference 9:00am to 5:00pm, 
with a working lunch at mid-day. 
 
-- Saturday, September 22:  COM conference closing session 
approximately 9am-12 noon. 
 
Participants should be free from mid-day Saturday, September 
22, for personal activities in Istanbul, any smaller group 
meetings that may be appropriate, etc.  Congen Istanbul is 
blocking rooms now for Thursday night through Sunday. 
Accommodations will be sufficient for those who may wish to 
bring spouses. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Action:  Overseas posts and Washington invitees are 
requested to advise on attendance as soon as possible, but no 
later than August 24.  Post will provide more detailed 
information on the program, schedule accommodations, etc., by 
early September.  Embassy Ankara action officers are: 
through July 31, Michael Mauel, e-mail MauelME@state.gov, 
telephone 90-312-457-7068; after July 31, Dale Eppler, e-mail 
EpplerDB@state.gov, telephone 90-312-457-7058.  Consulate 
Istanbul POC for lodging and admin support is Elaine Taylor, 
e-mail TaylorEB@state.gov, telephone 90-212-335-9000 ext. 
¶9164. 
 
¶7. (U) Best regards, and I look forward to seeing you in 
Istanbul in September.  Ross Wilson 
 
Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ 
 
WILSON