VZCZCXRO6673
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #1908/01 3061328
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021328Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8701
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3412
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9618
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4028
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 3891
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1949
RHMFIUU/DTRA ALEX WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2105
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 TASHKENT 001908 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, EXBS (J. HARTSHORN), INL (A. BUHLER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PBTS PREL UZ
SUBJECT: GOU EXPRESSES INTEREST IN FURTHER BORDER SECURITY 
COOPERATION 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The first bilateral border security 
assistance working groups met November 1.  The GOU's 
delegation repeatedly expressed its desire for improved 
border security cooperation with the United States.  GOU 
representatives from the MFA, Border Guards of the National 
Security Service (NSS), and Customs were grateful for U.S. 
assistance and assured the U.S. delegation that they were 
using the equipment they had received for the purposes 
intended.  They provided no new proposals.  They hoped to 
return to previous levels of border security cooperation and 
build on this in the future.  The GOU representatives 
requested further information in writing on 
information-sharing and the modalities of cooperation.  The 
GOU side made it clear it would have to brief senior GOU 
officials on the U.S. proposals.  We expect that this will 
take time, but we are hopeful that we can come to a 
satisfactory agreement addressing our concerns.  The GOU 
agreed to meet in one month and follow-up on some specific 
issues raised.  Their future participation in these sessions 
will indicate how serious they are about cooperation. 
Something good has come out of the EXBS local employee 
incident.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) On November 1, the first bilateral meetings of the 
Cooperation Working Group and Modalities Working Group on 
border security took place at the MFA's opulent reception 
house.  The Deputy Chief of Mission chaired the US 
delegation, which also included the head of Embassy 
Tashkent's Defense Threat Reduction Office, the Defense 
Attache, two poloffs responsible for the EXBS and INL 
programs, and two interpreters.  The head of MFA's Americas 
Desk, Ismat Faizullaev, chaired the 19-member, mostly 
mid-level GOU delegation.  This consisted primarily of Border 
Guards from the National Security Service and a 
representative from Customs. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Faizullaev opened the working groups with an 
expression of hope that these fora would serve to rebuild 
trust.  He stated the GOU reacted favorably to the USG's 
decision to resume border security assistance.  DCM reminded 
all of our shared national interests in securing Uzbekistan's 
borders against terrorists, trafficked persons, narcotics, 
and WMD.  In the past, border security cooperation had been 
quite successful.  It had been a highlight of our bilateral 
relationship and could be again.  In order to move on, it was 
useful to review the array of past joint projects and what 
they had achieved in Uzbekistan.  The U.S. side then 
presented four Powerpoint presentations in Russian (English 
versions forwarded to SCA/CEN) summarizing more than $85 
million of projects and programs with ten GOU partner 
agencies, most particularly the Border Guards and Customs 
Service, since 1999. 
 
REACTIONS TO EXBS, INL, DTRA, AND DATT BORDER PRESENTATIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Starting with the poloff responsible for the EXBS 
program, the U.S. side gave presentations on all of the 
border security programs the USG is responsible for in 
Uzbekistan.  Faizullaev expressed regret that the planned 
EXBS nonproliferation event at the University of Georgia for 
Uzbek officials had not taken place, but he understood the 
reason for this.  (Comment: An oblique reference to the 
incident involving our EXBS employee and its aftermath.  End 
Comment.)  The DCM announced that, pending an agreement on 
the modalities of cooperation, the U.S. is ready to move 
forward on three EXBS projects: the export 
control/nonproliferation event at the University of Georgia, 
the provision of ten radioisotope detectors to Uzbekistan's 
Customs, and the repair of an X-ray van for Customs. 
Faizullaev stated that the GOU will consider these projects, 
and will inform the U.S. of its decision.  He also said that 
EXBS-provided equipment has been used daily.  Mr. Reyimov 
from the National Border Protection Department reassured the 
U.S. delegation that the GOU was making use of the equipment 
as intended and that this was operational.  He also hoped for 
further cooperation in this area. 
 
 
TASHKENT 00001908  002 OF 004 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Poloff briefed on the INL program, including the 
active INL project at the Ministry of Health and the 
provision of equipment to Customs, and the INL-funded and 
UNODC-implemented project at Termez Civil River Port and the 
Border Liaison Offices project on the border between 
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.  The DCM recounted a previous 
project facilitating communications between Uzbek and Afghan 
border guards at Hayraton.  Faizullaev stated that the GOU 
will consider the U.S. proposals. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The head of the Defense Threat Reduction Office 
briefed on the WMD-PPI, including the installation of 27 
Radiation Portal Monitors at 27 international Ports of Entry 
(POE) in Uzbekistan and the requirement for continued access 
to the POEs for periodic maintenance by both DTRA and DOE 
contractors.  The representative from Customs expressed 
gratitude for the assistance and equipment, and stated that 
Customs is making effective use of the equipment provided by 
the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. 
 
¶7. (SBU) The Defense Attache briefed on border security 
cooperation under CENTCOM, including a plan outlining 
proposed activities requiring near reciprocity from the GOU 
and previous FMF and FMS cases.  The cost for the delivery of 
the Border Guards patrol boats was $2.9 million, and training 
had been delayed due to problems with visas.  A joint inquiry 
and pre-deployment site survey is to be conducted in Termez 
November 8-9.  Training has been scheduled for December.  He 
also spoke about Border Patrol and Customs exchanges, a 
counternarcotics terrorism exercise, a special operations 
information exchange, a search and rescue exchange, and 
several Marshall Center Courses.  Faizullaev said that the 
Marshall Programs looked very interesting and that the GOU 
will participate in them, and also noted that he was one of 
the first participants in the Marshall Program in 1994. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Reyimov reiterated that all of the training and 
equipment the U.S. has provided is being used appropriately, 
and noted that Uzbekistan's accomplishments in border 
security would have been impossible without the cooperation 
of the United States.  He stressed that the GOU hopes for 
further cooperation with the United States in the future, and 
emphasized that this is the government's official position. 
 
REACTIONS TO ACCESS, RESPONSIVENESS, ACCOUNTABILITY CONCERNS 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) The U.S. delegation outlined several issues that 
need to be resolved.  The U.S. has had problems with access 
including visa problems for visiting experts, 
difficulties--especially for DTRA--in accessing POEs, and is 
concerned about the lack of business registration renewal for 
Washington International, Inc. which implements WMD-PPI DTRA 
activities in Uzbekistan.  Faizullaev responded that they 
could not give an answer then, but repeatedly assured the 
U.S. delegation that their group would brief higher 
authorities on these issues.  He also promised that the GOU 
would take steps to improve the situation regarding visas. 
He asked that the USG have visa applicants apply well in 
advance of intended travel.  The DCM then brought up the 
issue of responsiveness and timeliness of response.  In the 
past, the United States had offered suggestions or proposals 
that the GOU did not respond to for long periods of time.  He 
noted communications have improved in recent months but 
timeliness of response was still an issue.  The Defense 
Attache raised an immediate case in point.  DCM proposed we 
work together to find ways to communicate more effectively 
and more often.  Lastly, the U.S. delegation brought up the 
issue of accountability for equipment, noting the 
Congressionally-mandated accounting requirements.  Faizullaev 
and Reyimov both assured the representatives that they 
respect these requirements and that Uzbekistan would "play by 
the rules."  (Comment: Uzbekistan has an excellent record 
with regard to end-use monitoring.  End Comment.) 
 
GOU WILL CONSIDER A SUBGROUP ON BTRP 
------------------------------------ 
 
 
TASHKENT 00001908  003 OF 004 
 
 
¶10. (SBU) The U.S. delegation then addressed a recent U.S. 
proposal to review issues related to DTRA's Biological Threat 
Reduction Program, and suggested that either the working 
groups take biological threat issues into account or that a 
separate subgroup be established to focus on these.  The head 
of the Defense Threat Reduction Office also stated that a 
routine high-level meeting would serve our mutual interests. 
Faizullaev indicated that they would submit the proposal to 
senior government officials, but he favored the establishment 
of a subgroup because additional people with responsibility 
for these issues would be needed from other GOU ministries 
than the ones represented in the current working groups. 
 
LET'S RETURN TO OUR PAST LEVEL OF COOPERATION 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) In response to a question on the GOU's priority 
needs, Faizullaev noted that they have opinions and ideas on 
various projects, and pledged that they would send the USG 
something in writing after they brief their superiors.  He 
said they needed time to think it over.  Faizullaev stated 
that they wished to revive, to return to the previous level 
of engagement, and then both sides could build on this in the 
future.  Mr. Reyimov affirmed Faizullaev's statement, and 
said that these meetings help to instill a spirit of 
cooperation among the Uzbek representatives present, about 
90% of whom did not have prior experience with international 
cooperation.  Faizullaev agreed to hold another meeting in 
roughly one month, and said that the GOU was open to 
suggestions from the United States. 
 
MODALITIES--SEND US YOUR PROPOSALS IN WRITING 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The U.S. delegation then brought up the issue of 
information-sharing on conceiving projects, implementing 
projects, and monitoring the results.  The DCM stated that we 
did not want to violate GOU laws and rules on 
information-sharing and that we wanted to know the procedures 
to prevent misunderstandings.  Information-sharing was 
essential for effective project design, efficient project 
implementation, and accurate project monitoring and 
assessment.  The DTRA representative acknowledged that some 
of the information on the GOU side may be considered 
sensitive, and we respected that.  For this reason, almost a 
year ago OSD had proposed an agreement on 
information-sharing.  Faizullaev requested a copy of the 
previous proposal on information-sharing.  Spelling out the 
absolute necessity of contractors and Embassy local staff in 
implementing joint cooperation programs, the DCM spoke about 
the importance of reaching a common understanding on how 
contractors and local staff interact with GOU officials.  In 
order to avoid problems in the future and to communicate 
better, we needed to come to some basic agreement on the 
parameters and acceptable means of interacting.  DCM proposed 
the working group look at all the various ways our 
contractors and local employees interact with GOU officials; 
visits to projects; proposed project sites and facilities; 
and the issue of escorting GOU officials on international 
study trips.  Faizullaev responded that the GOU would think 
about this.  He requested the U.S. side to provide in writing 
additional proposals in this area.  DCM agreed to do so. 
 
COMMENT: 
-------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) Something positive is emerging from the EXBS local 
employee incident.  We are off to a good start in 
reestablishing a dialogue on border security cooperation with 
the GOU and in restoring some trust and transparency.  The 
GOU delegation listened to our remarks attentively.  While 
they expressed interest in further cooperation on border 
security, our specific proposals will need approval from 
senior levels of the GOU before we can expect much further 
progress.  This may take some time.  Nevertheless, we are 
cautiously optimistic that we can come to an agreement on 
modalities with the GOU that will enable us to move forward 
on a number of projects.  GOU participation in subsequent 
 
TASHKENT 00001908  004 OF 004 
 
 
meetings of the bilateral working groups and their actions in 
resolving some of the specific issues raised will indicate 
how serious it is about restoring our previous level of 
cooperation in border security. 
NORLAND