VZCZCXRO6117
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHPW RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHEK #0114 0311258
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311258Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0603
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 4378
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 2150
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2408
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0014
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0833
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0660
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2969
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0485
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 1096

UNCLAS BISHKEK 000114 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN 
DEPT PASS TO USTR - ERRION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD PREL KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ RESPOND TO TIFA LETTER 
 
REF: A. 07 STATE 170917 
 
     ¶B. STATE 01132 
 
¶1.  Per Ref A request, Embassy relayed Assistant U.S. Trade 
Representative Shaun Donnelly's letter to Kyrgyz Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA) International Economic Cooperation 
Department head Jeenbek Kulubayev, who represented Kyrgyzstan 
at the 2007 U.S.-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting.  Per Ref B request, Embassy 
submitted via diplomatic note a request for MFA comment on 
plans for the 2008 U.S.-Central Asia TIFA meeting.  Embassy 
also shared Ref B points with the Kyrgyz Ministry of Economic 
Development and Trade. 
 
¶2.  On January 31, we received Kulubayev's written response 
to the Donnelly letter.  The Kyrgyz support having the 
meeting in late June in a Central Asian country.  Kulubayev 
suggests adopting country-specific work plans in the context 
of TIFA, and he proposes that targeted technical assistance 
to improve border and customs posts be an issue for 
discussion at the meeting. 
 
¶3.  Embassy's unofficial translation of Kulubayev's letter 
follows: 
 
Dear Mr. Shaun Donnelly, 
 
Please allow me to express my sincere appreciation for the 
highly organized work and for the warm reception during my 
participation at the TIFA Council meeting in July 2007. 
 
Taking into consideration the importance of TIFA for the 
economy of the Kyrgyz Republic and the region of Central 
Asia, I would like to note the following. 
 
Being an active member-state of TIFA, the Kyrgyz side 
welcomes the next meeting in one of the Central Asian 
countries at the end of June 2008. 
 
Also, with the goal of achieving practical results in the 
work of the program, I think it is expedient to work out an 
individual approach to each country, taking into 
consideration its potential and specifics in the different 
spheres of economy, which would allow, in turn, to promote 
the economic growth of each country individually. 
 
I am confident that adopting such an important document as a 
TIFA Country-Specific Work Plan will allow us to identify to 
identify real tasks and purposes of the program for the 
medium and long term periods. 
 
At the same time, specifically targeted technical assistance 
to the countries in the region in equipping technologically 
border and customs posts, which would allow faster crossing 
of borders and promote the expansion of bilateral trade 
between neighboring Central Asian countries, could be one of 
the program's practical tasks and an issue for discussion at 
the forthcoming summit. 
 
Please let me express my belief in further fruitful 
cooperation between our countries within the context of TIFA 
and articulate my hope that the suggestions made by 
Kyrgyzstan would also receive positive consideration at the 
forthcoming TIFA meeting in 2008. 
 
Respectfully, 
¶J. Kulubayev 
 
¶4.  Kulubayev has been appointed as the next Kyrgyz 
ambassador to Malaysia, and he confirmed to us that he would 
be taking up that assignment soon. 
 
YOVANOVITCH