VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #9319 0801922
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 201916Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY 0000
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 0000
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0000
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0000
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0000
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0000
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0000

UNCLAS STATE 029319 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
MOSCOW FOR INL-PRAHAR 
UNVIE FOR WICKES 
ASTANA FOR BEAVER 
DEA FOR JONES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR RU KZ
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN ENGAGEMENT WITH CENTRAL ASIAN CENTER - 
CARICC 
 
REF: 07 UNVIE 721 
 
1.(SBU) This is an action request for Embassy Moscow. 
Department requests Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) Chief and 
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Attache first approach 
interlocutors within the Government of Russia (GOR) 
informally about increased, meaningful cooperation with the 
Central Asia Regional Information Coordination Center 
(CARICC), based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  NAS and DEA are 
requested to inquire about Russia signing the CARICC 
Framework Agreement within the next three months, ratifying 
the Agreement, and possible secondment of experienced 
counternarcotics staff to the Center within the same time 
frame.  If Government of Russia (GOR) interlocutors are 
unable to confirm actions will happen within three months, 
Post is requested to then demarche  the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs to urge Russia to demonstrate their commitment to 
this important Eurasian institution by taking action to 
ratify the Agreement and send appropriate staff to Almaty. 
Suggested language for approach and demarche is contained in 
paragraph 4. 
 
2.(U) BACKGROUND:  CARICC is a regional law enforcement 
center designed to improve interdiction and analysis of 
smuggling trends, particularly smuggling of drugs.  The 
Center is a multilateral project, implemented by the United 
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).  Funding for 
CARICC comes from the United States (The International 
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau has provided $2.8 
million in funding to date), as well as modest funding from 
Italy, Canada, Finland, Great Britain, and Turkey.  Russia is 
a founding member state of CARICC, and the destination 
country for much of the narcotics flowing north from 
Afghanistan through Central Asia.  Unfortunately, Russia has 
yet to sign or ratify the CARICC Framework Agreement or to 
send Russian law enforcement personnel to staff the center, 
now in its pilot phase.  In multilateral and bilateral 
settings, Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that 
they wish to pursue cooperation with the United States on 
counternarcotics and counterterrorism projects.  The 
Department believes the CARICC center offers a way for Russia 
to partner with the U.S. and Central Asia to improve the 
ability of law enforcement personnel to detect smuggling 
trends, to provide better law enforcement information 
sharing, and to interdict the flow of drugs.  Other member 
states, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, 
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have finalized their legislation; 
Turkmenistan became the first member state to ratify the 
Central Asia Regional Information Coordination Center 
Framework Agreement on December 28, 2007.  The Center is 
currently operating in a pilot phase, with seconded staff 
from Kazakhstan (the host country), and law enforcement 
officers from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan doing 
analysis of smuggling trends based on reports from their home 
government's law enforcement personnel.  END BACKGROUND. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Department would appreciate any information NAS 
and DEA gather about why Russia has been reluctant to sign 
and ratify the framework agreement or to send officers to 
staff the Center.  Not only do the drugs wind up in Russia, 
this is a clear opportunity for Russia to put its imprimatur 
on the Center's activities, as they are regional leaders in 
technical expertise and analysis of counternarcotics and 
smuggling trends.  The Department also believes that Russian 
leadership would improve longer-term Central Asian commitment 
to the Center. 
 
¶4. (U) If NAS and DEA are unable to confirm that ratification 
of the CARICC legislation and staff support will take place 
in the very near term, Embassy Moscow should draw on the 
following language for a demarche to appropriate government 
ministries to encourage Russia to demonstrate their 
commitment to deter smuggling of narcotics and other illicit 
goods and their willingness to cooperate with the U.S. in 
this effort. 
 
-- The U.S. appreciates the many offers the Government of 
Russia has made to cooperate in efforts to reduce the amount 
of counternarcotics, particularly opium products smuggled 
from Afghanistan into Europe and Eurasia.  Afghanistan is the 
source of more than 80 per cent of the world's opium supply 
according to United Nations statistics. 
 
-- The training provided by the Russian government to Central 
Asian states under the projects sponsored by the United 
Nations, the NATO-Russia council and other bodies have 
significantly improved their ability to detect and interdict 
many illicit goods. 
 
-- A public demonstration of commitment to the fight against 
illicit drugs would be useful, since Russia remains a model 
for law enforcement in the narcotics transit region of 
Central Asia. 
 
-- The Central Asia Regional Information Center in Almaty, 
Kazakhstan, would benefit from increased Russian involvement, 
both in terms of Russia's superior technical expertise in 
this area as well as promoting greater commitment by the 
other partner nations. 
 
-- We urge Russia to quickly sign and seek ratification of 
the Framework Agreement for the Center soon, in order to 
publicly demonstrate their commitment to cooperation with 
regional counternarcotics efforts.  We believe Russian 
leadership will cause the Central Asian countries to 
re-affirm their own commitment to the Center. 
 
-- We also urge Russia to send several experienced Drug 
Liaison Officers to help staff the Center and provide their 
expertise.  They are needed urgently to move the Center 
beyond the pilot phase. 
 
¶5. (U) REPORTING:  Embassy is requested to report informal 
response from the GOR to NAS and DEA approaches by March 24. 
Embassy is requested to deliver demarche, if so needed, by 
March 27 and report any response by March 31.  Please slug 
replies for INL/AAE - Elizabeth Carroll, SCA/RA - Anne 
Cummings, and EUR/RUS - Kathleen Szpila/Howard Solomon. 
Please info UNVIE as well. 
 
¶6. (U) As always, Department appreciates Embassy's 
assistance. 
RICE