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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001218 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2018 
TAGS: PBIO PREL ECON ENRG EPET UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: HEAD OF UN PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY 
CENTER OUTLINES CURRENT WORK 
 
REF: A. ASHGABAT 1186 
     ¶B. ASHGABAT 1187 
 
Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Deputy Assistant Secretary George Krol met 
September 4 with United Nations Regional Center for 
Preventive Diplomacy Head of Office Miroslav Jenca to 
discuss regional issues, including water, energy, and 
Afghanistan.  Jenca described Turkmenistan's proposed UN 
resolution on energy security as "unrealistic." He 
described a series of upcoming meetings spearheaded by the 
EU on water issues.  The Center plans to promote issues 
related to Afghanistan as well.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) On September 4, Deputy Assistant Secretary George 
Krol met with United Nations Regional Center for Preventive 
Diplomacy for Central Asia Head of Office  Miroslav Jenca 
to discuss regional issues.  Jenca said he had attended 
UNDP sponsored meetings in Almaty on preparations for the 
upcoming winter, based on the experience with last year's 
extremely cold winter in Central Asia.  He believed the 
Preventive Diplomacy Center could lead efforts in this 
area.  He noted last year Uzbekistan prevented the transit 
of certain humanitarian items destined for Tajikistan.  The 
Preventive Diplomacy Center wants to avoid that happening 
this year.  UNDP will make an appeal to the international 
community.  Another Center initiative Jenca noted is the 
training of diplomats in the region on preventive 
diplomacy.  It has already started the process of training 
junior staff from the Turkmenistan MFA.  Jenca said that 
during the UNGA there would be a meeting to show support 
for the Center.  He said United States support for the work 
of the Center would be critical. 
 
UN RESOLUTION ON ENERGY SECURITY 
 
¶3. (C)  Regarding Turkmenistan's proposal for a UN 
resolution on energy security, Jenca said that there is no 
final draft, but he has seen some preliminary language.  He 
had met with Deputy Chairman/Foreign Minister Rashid 
Meredov on this issue on September 2.  The Turkmen have 
decided to broaden the resolution to cover not just gas and 
oil pipelines but also electricity transmission lines. 
Jenca claimed the Turkmen, realizing a resolution dealing 
with global energy/pipelines would be too difficult to 
pass, the will limit the geographic scope of the resolution 
to Central Asia and the Caspian.  Later, this could be 
expanded. Jenca considered the Turkmen resolution 
unrealistic.  He claimed the Chinese have reacted 
negatively to the idea.  The Russians told him this issue 
was beyond the Preventive Diplomacy Center's mandate. 
(NOTE: President Berdimuhamedov told DAS Krol he thought 
foreign leaders were broadly supportive of Turkmenistan's 
initiative.  Ref. A  END NOTE.) 
 
WATER ISSUES 
 
¶4. (C) Jenca said the Germans have committed 10 million 
euros  and promised another 20 million euros to address 
Central Asia water issues through the EU.  Jenca plans to 
travel to Berlin to discuss the issue and he noted  a 
meeting on the subject will take place in Almaty at the end 
of November.  Italy would be the lead for the European 
Commission.  There would be another meeting December 3 
under the French presidency.  Water would also be a topic 
covered during the September 17-18 EU-Central Asia dialogue 
meeting with Central Asian foreign ministers in Paris.  The 
plan is to show the Central Asian countries examples of 
where shared water resources work, such as the U.S.- 
Canadian and U.S.-Mexican borders, and the Mekong River 
Valley.  UNDP is also working on a project.  Jenca said he 
wanted to meet with EU Commissioner for External Relations 
Benita Ferraro-Waldner to discuss joint UN-European 
 
ASHGABAT 00001218  002 OF 002 
 
 
efforts. 
 
ENERGY 
 
¶5.  (C) Jenca said he wanted to bring people from around 
the region to the UN preventive Diplomacy Center to discuss 
experiences and to give them local ownership.  He said the 
Russian position is to increase Central Asians dependency 
on Russia.  He noted Carnegie's Martha Brill Olcott is 
planning to host a seminar in Tashkent on alternate forms 
of energy. 
 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
¶6.  (C) Jenca said he will talk to Special Representative 
of the UN Secretary General for Afghanistan Kai Eide during 
an upcoming trip to Afghanistan.  He thought the UN 
Preventive Diplomacy Center could promote issues related to 
Afghanistan as well. 
 
ELECTRICTY 
 
¶7. (U) DAS Krol described to Jenca U.S. efforts to foster 
regional electricity connections and passed on a slide 
presentation on the subject.  Jenca expressed thanks and 
said he thought the Center could be helpful in this area as 
well. 
 
¶8. (C) COMMENT: When the Center first opened, many 
observers wondered what it would really do. Jenca clearly 
believes there is real potential for the Center to grapple 
with some of the region?s more intractable problems such as 
water management as well as be a regional training  and 
conference center. But for the Center to be successful, it 
must have the political support of region?s leaders, its 
near neighbors like Russia as well as the EU and the U.S. 
END COMMENT. 
 
CURRAN