VZCZCXRO1474
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #0132/01 0340846
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030846Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0387
INFO CIS COLLECTIVE
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0022
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0029
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0136
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0108
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0105
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0108
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0136
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 TASHKENT 000132 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES (PATRICK HUDAK 
NINA FITE 
AND 
MICHAEL SCHENA) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON PREL TSPL ETTC KTIA KIPR KSTC UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN EXCITED ABOUT S&T AGREEMENT, PRESENTS A DRAFT 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Dr. Shavkat Salikhov, Chairman of 
the Committee for Coordination of Science and 
Technology Development at the Cabinet of Ministers, 
told us in unequivocal terms on January 29 that 
Uzbekistan is very interested in negotiating a 
Science and Technology (S&T) cooperation agreement 
with the U.S.  The Government of Uzbekistan's (GOU) 
interest received added emphasis the following day, 
when the MFA sent us a GOU-approved draft of the 
agreement.  It is Post's view that if the Department 
chooses to proceed, an S&T agreement could be a nice 
deliverable item for a high level visitor as part of 
our effort to broaden the bilateral relationship. 
END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) On January 29 we met with Dr. Shavkat 
Salikhov, Chairman of the Committee for Coordination 
of Science and Technology Development at the Cabinet 
of Ministers who is concurrently also the President 
of Uzbekistan's Academy of Sciences.  Welcoming and 
thanking the Embassy for its willingness to discuss 
a possible US-Uzbek bilateral framework agreement on 
S&T cooperation, Dr. Salikhov said the GOU is deeply 
interested in negotiating and signing an agreement 
of this type.  Dr. Salikhov continued that 
Uzbekistan would benefit from expanded cooperation 
with U.S. technical agencies that the proposed S&T 
agreement could facilitate. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Dr. Salikhov added that Uzbekistan 
possesses the most advanced science and technology 
in Central Asia.  Historically, he said, there were 
two reasons for this.  First, Uzbeks were a 
predominantly settled people in contrast to their 
nomadic neighbors.  Second, many top scientists and 
engineers were evacuated to Uzbekistan from Russia 
and other European parts of the USSR during World 
War II, thereby laying the groundwork to educate a 
new generation of scientists in Uzbekistan. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Dr. Salikhov said that since the collapse 
of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan has actively and 
fruitfully cooperated with the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture and with the Department of Energy on a 
number of mutually beneficial projects in 
agriculture, genetics, and non-proliferation. 
Speaking on behalf of the GOU, Dr. Salikhov said 
that Uzbekistan is deeply interested in continuing 
these joint projects and programs and in expanding 
cooperation with the U.S. to nanotechnology, 
biotechnology, veterinary sciences, energy 
efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental 
protection. 
 
¶5. (SBU) MFA representative Shokhrukh Yadgarov 
reminded us that the U.S. side had suggested an S&T 
agreement at the American-Uzbek Chamber of Commerce 
meeting in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2008.  Since 
then, he continued, the Uzbek MFA has coordinated 
preparation and approval of draft text.  He said the 
MFA would send the draft S&T agreement to the 
Embassy, where indeed we received it the next day. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) It came as no surprise to us that the GOU 
is interested in negotiating an S&T agreement with 
the U.S.  (We most likely would not have been 
granted a meeting with Dr. Salikhov if the GOU was 
not interested.)  We were much taken by surprise, 
however, to find that that the GOU is so interested 
in this agreement that the MFA, the Committee for 
Coordination of Science and Technology Development, 
 
TASHKENT 00000132  002 OF 005 
 
 
 
and the Academy of Sciences had already prepared a 
draft agreement.  From this it is clear that on the 
Uzbek side the green light to pursue an S&T 
agreement has been given at the very top. 
 
¶7. (SBU) We told Dr. Salikhov that an S&T agreement 
is under discussion in Washington but that no 
official position has been taken.  It is Post's view, 
however, that if the Department chooses to proceed, 
an S&T agreement could be a nice deliverable item 
for a high level visitor as part of our effort to 
broaden the bilateral relationship. 
 
GOU DRAFT FOR S&T AGREEMENT 
--------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The following is an unofficial translation 
of the GOU's proposed text for an S&T cooperation 
agreement. 
 
START UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF GOU PROPOSED TEXT 
 
AGREEMENT 
Between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan 
and the Government of the United States of America 
on Science and Technology Cooperation 
 
The Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the 
Government of the United States of America, 
hereinafter referred as the Parties, 
 
-- Guided by a willingness to develop long-term 
cooperation in science and technology, 
 
-- Convinced that cooperation in science and 
technology will serve to strengthen friendly 
relations between the two countries, 
 
-- Acknowledging the need to strengthen and expand 
cooperation in science and technology under 
conditions of rapid advancement and dissemination of 
scientific information, as well as the results of 
scientific research and developments, 
 
-- Having a view to create favorable conditions for 
scientific and technological cooperation and a legal 
basis for cooperation in this field, 
 
Have agreed as follows: 
 
Article 1 
 
The Parties shall encourage development and 
expansion of cooperation in science and technology 
within the frameworks of national legislation of the 
Parties and international treaties based on 
principles of equity and mutual benefit, as well as 
create the necessary organizational, legal, and 
economic conditions for mutual cooperation. 
 
Article 2 
 
The directions in which bilateral cooperation will 
take place shall be identified by the Parties taking 
into account their national interests and with the 
purpose of effective development of science and 
technology in both countries. 
 
This Agreement covers cooperation in fundamental and 
applied research and in innovation in the natural 
and technical sciences (including information and 
communication technologies, biotechnology, and 
nanotechnology), as well as in agriculture. 
 
TASHKENT 00000132  003 OF 005 
 
 
 
Article 3 
 
The cooperation envisioned in Article 2 of this 
Agreement shall be implemented by the ministries, 
agencies, and scientific organizations of the 
Parties to the extent of their mandates based on 
direct agreements and contracts, which should be in 
line with the national legislations of the Parties. 
 
Direct agreements and contracts should identify the 
parameters of cooperation, its economic and 
organizational conditions, namely: 
 
-- The direction, scope of work to be carried out in 
the context of cooperation on science and technology; 
 
-- Sources of financing for the work carried out in 
each county in the context of cooperation and mutual 
financial responsibilities; 
 
-- Procedures for joint use of scientific-technical 
facilities, as well as the use of results of joint 
research and regulation of issues related to the 
dissemination of rights for intellectual and 
industrial property acquired during joint scientific 
activities; 
 
-- Mechanisms for dispute settlement and 
compensation for damages that could occur in the 
course of carrying out work in the context of 
cooperation; 
 
-- Procedures by which individuals from third 
countries or international organizations can 
participate, including procedures for financial 
support of such participation and use of the results 
of mutual collaboration; 
 
-- Responsibility for the credibility of information 
and the quality of materials and equipment to be 
transferred to each other in the course of 
collaboration 
 
Article 4 
 
Cooperation in the context of this Agreement is 
carried out in the following forms: 
 
-- Implementation of joint scientific-research 
programs, projects to develop and master high 
technologies; 
 
-- Exchanges of scientists and experts; 
 
-- Joint scientific conferences, symposiums and 
seminars; 
 
-- Joint scientific projects carried out in 
scientific-research organizations, universities, 
technology parks, and research centers of the 
Parties, including joint field research and 
expeditions; 
 
-- Joint exhibitions of advanced scientific 
technologies and scientific research results 
 
Article 5 
 
If necessary, the Parties may create a bilateral 
commission on cooperation in science and technology 
for implementation of this Agreement and for 
preparation of recommendations on further deepening 
cooperation of the Parties in this field. 
 
TASHKENT 00000132  004 OF 005 
 
 
 
The Commission shall develop and approve Rules of 
procedure in order to organize its activities. 
Meetings of the Commission will be held on a regular 
basis -- either in Uzbekistan or in the United 
States -- in accordance with prior decisions. 
 
Authorized agencies for coordinating cooperation in 
the context of this Agreement are: 
 
-- For the Uzbek side -- Committee on Coordination 
of Science and Technology Development, Cabinet of 
Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan; 
 
-- For the American side -- ____________________ 
 
Article 6 
 
The Parties have agreed that scientific and 
scientific-technical information that is acquired in 
the course of collaboration, except information that 
relates to intellectual and industrial property or 
that is subject to nondisclosure for commercial or 
industrial reasons, will, at the mutual consent of 
the Parties, be available to the world scientific 
community through generally accepted means and in 
accordance with prevailing legislation of the 
Parties. 
 
Article 7 
 
In accordance with national legislation of the 
Parties and norms of international law, the Parties 
shall assist in the protection of rights to 
intellectual property that may be created as a 
result of collaboration in the context of this 
Agreement.   Specific issues related to intellectual 
property rights shall be regulated in the agreements 
and contracts that will be signed in accordance with 
Article 3 of this Agreement. 
 
Article 8 
 
Terms and conditions for scientists and specialists 
of the Parties as well as financial issues related 
to the exchange of experts, scientists, and other 
specialists participating in collaborative projects 
shall be resolved based on mutual agreement of the 
Parties. 
 
Article 9 
 
Nothing in the present Agreement shall affect the 
rights or obligations of a Party arising from any 
agreement that is in force on the date on which this 
Agreement comes into force. 
 
Article 10 
 
By mutual consent of the Parties, changes and 
additions can be made to the present Agreement 
through separate Protocols that shall be integral 
parts of the present Agreement. 
 
Article 11 
 
In case of disputes and disagreements concerning 
interpretation or application of the provisions of 
the present Agreement, the Parties shall settle them 
through consultations and negotiations. 
 
Article 12 
 
The present Agreement shall enter into force from 
the date of receipt of final written notification 
 
TASHKENT 00000132  005 OF 005 
 
 
 
that the Parties have completed the internal 
governmental procedures required for it to enter 
into force. 
 
The present Agreement is concluded for a period of 5 
(five) years and shall automatically be extended for 
1 (one) year if neither side serves the other with 
written notification of cancellation at least six 
months prior to the end of this period. 
 
Done at ______________ ___ _____________ 200__ in 
two authenticated copies, each in Uzbek and English 
languages, all texts having equal legal force. 
 
For the Government          For the Government 
of the Republic of          of the United States of 
Uzbekistan                  America 
 
END UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION OF GOU PROPOSED TEXT 
NORLAND 
 
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