VZCZCXRO4785
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #0252/01 0650625
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060625Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0574
INFO CIS COLLECTIVE
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0050
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0046
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 0179
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0141
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0138
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0141
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0172
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TASHKENT 000252 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/STC (EILEEN KANE) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TSPL TBIO EAGR ENRG ECON AMGT
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SCIENCE FELLOWS PROGRAM 2009 (UZBEKISTAN) 
 
REF: a) STATE 10843 
 
TASHKENT 00000252  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
REFERENCES:  State 10843 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY.  Post is submitting two proposals 
for Embassy Science Fellows (reftel) in 2009-2010: 
one proposal for a specialist to study water 
management issues in Central Asia and the second 
for an NSF Fellow to assess science and technology 
capabilities in Uzbekistan in light of current 
negotiations on a U.S.-Uzbek Science and Technology 
Cooperation Agreement.  END SUMMARY 
 
WATER MANAGEMENT PROPOSAL 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Post requests the temporary posting of an 
Embassy Science Fellow to Embassy Tashkent to study 
water management issues in Central Asia. 
 
 
A -- GENERAL INFORMATION 
 
TOPIC:  Water management in Central Asia 
 
HOST:  Scientific Information Center of the 
Interstate Commission for Water Coordination (SIC 
ICWC) of Central Asia (to be confirmed) 
 
TIME FRAME:  Flexible.  Prefer twelve weeks in 
either fall 2009 or spring 2010.  Medical clearance 
required. 
 
ADDITIONAL SKILLS:  Although not required, Russian 
and/or Uzbek language ability will enhance the 
Fellow's productivity.  Post will assist with 
translating and interpreting as needed. 
 
SECURITY CLEARANCE:  Not required 
 
 
B -- PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION 
 
The Fellow will provide expert analysis that can be 
used to aid U.S. Government policy makers who 
follow water and energy resource management issues 
in Central Asia. 
 
Central Asias water resources are an important 
source of competition and tension among the five 
Central Asian states.  Post-Soviet regional 
mechanisms have been unable to generate effective 
cooperative solutions and have largely failed to 
take into account changing political and economic 
relations.  There are a number of key water and 
related energy nexus issues in Central Asia needing 
urgent attention.  It is now clear that if Central 
Asian nations fail to arrive at equitable sharing 
of their common water resources, current tensions 
may escalate into serious conflicts and even use of 
force. 
 
The Fellow will undertake consultations with 
relevant Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) ministries, 
regional institutions, Tashkent-based international 
organizations, bilateral aid agencies, and third- 
country embassies.  The objectives of these 
consultations will include:  1) to obtain official 
views on the strengths and weaknesses of the 
current regional mechanism, donors' perspectives on 
these issues and their ongoing related programs, 
ideas for improvements and 2) to ensure that the 
proposed policy for the U.S. Government is one 
which takes into account the programs of donors and 
other international institutions. 
 
It is important that the Fellow have both technical 
knowledge in water management and an understanding 
 
TASHKENT 00000252  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
of the complex political, economic and legal issues 
at play.  The Fellow should be an internationally 
respected expert with a deep understanding of the 
issues and processes involved in inter-state co- 
operation on water resource management. 
 
 
C -- ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT 
 
Post commits to provide housing, space and office 
support, in-country travel arrangements, and other 
logistical support, as required. 
 
 
D -- CONTACT INFORMATION 
 
The points of contact for substantive questions 
about this proposal are 1) Regional ESTH Hub 
Officer Bruce Hudspeth, Tel: +7-7172-702-100, 
email: hudspethbk@state.gov; 2) Embassy Tashkent 
Economic Officer Robert McCutcheon, Tel: 998-71- 
120-5450, email: mccutcheonra@state.gov; and 3) 
Embassy Tashkent Environmental Affairs Specialist 
Bakhtiyor Mukhamadiev, Tel: 998-71-120-5450, email: 
mukhamadievbr@state.gov.  Management-related 
questions may be directed to Management Chief Doug 
Ellrich, Tel: 998-71-120-5450, email: 
ellrichdk@state.gov. 
 
 
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PROPOSAL 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Post requests the temporary posting of an 
Embassy Science Fellow from the U.S. National 
Science Foundation to assess the scientific, 
engineering, and technological capabilities in 
Uzbekistan in light of current negotiations on a 
U.S.-Uzbek Science and Technology Cooperation 
Agreement. 
 
A -- GENERAL INFORMATION 
 
TOPIC:  State of Science and Technology in 
Uzbekistan 
 
HOST:  Committee for Coordination of Science and 
Technology Development, Cabinet of Ministers of the 
Republic of Uzbekistan 
 
TIME FRAME:  Flexible.  Prefer two to three months 
in either the summer or fall of 2009.  Medical 
clearance required. 
 
ADDITIONAL SKILLS:  Although not required, Russian 
and/or Uzbek language ability will enhance the 
Fellow's productivity.  Post will assist with 
translating and interpreting services as needed. 
 
SECURITY CLEARANCE:  Not required 
 
 
B -- PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION 
 
The Fellow will assess current Uzbek science and 
technology (S&T) capabilities, thereby assisting 
Post and OES/STC in ongoing negotiations on a 
bilateral U.S.-Uzbek S&T Cooperation Agreement. 
 
The major tasks in this project are: 
 
-- Consult with S&T decision-makers and with top 
scientists to identify key issues, challenges and 
priorities in science, engineering, and technology 
in Uzbekistan; 
 
-- Conduct site visits to scientific, research, 
engineering and technological facilities to 
 
TASHKENT 00000252  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
identify S&T capabilities as well as needs and 
gaps; 
 
-- Draft a written assessment of Uzbekistans S&T 
capacity and potential; make recommendations for 
expanded bilateral U.S.-Uzbekistan S&T cooperation; 
 
-- Advise and assist in the preparatory work and 
negotiations aimed towards signing of a bilateral 
framework agreement between the U.S. and Uzbekistan 
on science and technology cooperation; and 
 
-- Act as a resource for Embassy Tashkent, the 
Departments Regional Environmental, Science, 
Technology and Health (ESTH) Hub for Central Asia, 
and OES/STC on scientific and technical issues 
between the U.S., Uzbekistan, and other Central 
Asian countries. 
 
 
C -- ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT 
 
Post commits to provide housing, space and office 
support, in-country travel arrangements, and other 
logistical support, as required. 
 
 
D -- CONTACT INFORMATION 
 
The points of contact for substantive questions 
about this proposal are 1) Regional ESTH Hub 
Officer Bruce Hudspeth, Tel: +7-7172-702-100, 
email: hudspethbk@state.gov; 2) Embassy Tashkent 
Economic Officer Robert McCutcheon, Tel: 998-71- 
120-5450, email: mccutcheonra@state.gov; and 3) 
Embassy Tashkent Environmental Affairs Specialist 
Bakhtiyor Mukhamadiev, Tel: 998-71-120-5450, email: 
mukhamadievbr@state.gov.  Management-related 
questions may be directed to Management Chief Doug 
Ellrich, Tel: 998-71-120-5450, email: 
ellrichdk@state.gov. 
BUTCHER 
 
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