VZCZCXRO6808
PP RUEHSL
DE RUEHC #2666/01 1681716
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 171655Z JUN 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 1339
INFO ORG FOR SECURITY CO OP IN EUR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 062666 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE UZ
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL:  RESPONSE TO OSCE PROJECT 
COORDINATOR IN UZBEKISTAN 
 
STATE 00062666  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
 ¶1.  Post is authorized to make the following statement at 
the June 18, 2009, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in 
Vienna: 
 
Begin Text: 
 
Thank you, Madame Chairperson. 
 
We welcome you, Ambassador Venczel, to the Permanent Council 
and thank you for your comprehensive report on OSCE 
activities in Uzbekistan. 
 
Mr. Ambassador, we are pleased to see that cooperation 
between the Government and the Project Coordinator's Office 
has continued to improve during this past year. We are 
encouraged by the number of approved projects in all three 
dimensions and the Government's willingness to invite OSCE 
institutions, including the Representative of Freedom of the 
Media, to lead or participate in events in Uzbekistan. 
 
We remain concerned, however, by the slow and complicated 
project agreement process between the Project Coordinator's 
Office and the Government. We hope that this review process 
can be shortened so as to hasten project implementation and 
increase budget utilization.  Greater access to the 
Presidential Administration would ease this process.  We also 
hope that Uzbekistan will allow the Office to become a fully 
mandated center with increased staff to carry out its work. 
 
The United States fully supports the Project Coordinator's 
work in all three dimensions. The Project Coordinator's 
assistance to the police academy, its support of regional 
seminars on fighting terrorism and illicit drug trafficking, 
and its activities aimed at increasing political 
participation of citizens and the transparency of elections 
are all examples of good cooperation with the authorities to 
consolidate security in the first dimension. In the second 
dimension, we commend the Project Coordinator's work to 
advance economic development by promoting good governance and 
fighting against money-laundering and corruption. 
 
We note the Project Coordinator's positive work on human 
dimension activities this year, including increasing the 
capacity of the ombudsperson institution and public awareness 
of it, providing training to the Ministry of Interior's Human 
Rights Protection Unit, and raising awareness of OSCE 
commitments in human rights and the rule of law. We believe 
that the Office's outreach to inform the public, 
academicians, politicians, and NGOs about OSCE commitments, 
especially in the field of human rights, can have a very 
positive impact. While we are encouraged by the Project 
Coordinator's work with the National Association of NGOs, we 
would like the Project Coordinator to consult with all NGOs, 
not just those that are officially registered. 
 
As outlined in your report, the Project Coordinator's Office 
has done a good job in working with other OSCE 
institutions*including the Strategic Police Matters Unit, 
the High Commissioner on National Minorities, and ODIHR*to 
advance the goal of meeting OSCE commitments by providing 
expert assistance. We are confident that this cooperation 
will continue, especially in light of the upcoming December 
27th elections, in which we expect ODIHR to offer assistance 
and an observation mission.  We urge the Uzbek authorities to 
implement ODIHR's recommendations from both the December 2007 
presidential election and the 2004 Uzbek parliamentary 
elections to improve the election process. 
 
The United States takes note of efforts by the Project 
Coordinator's Office to promote regional activities and 
cooperation, including for example by working with the OCEEA 
to hold last October a well-attended regional conference on 
environmental security and safety as a factor of water 
management. We would like to see more of this regional work 
continue -- whether it be organized by missions in Central 
Asia or through the Secretariat -- and believe that the OSCE 
can offer a value-added forum for dialogue on sensitive 
issues. We look to the Government of Uzbekistan to take 
advantage of this offer of support and to help plan and host 
regional conferences, seminars and roundtables with its 
neighbors in the region. 
 
Uzbekistan has been particularly helpful in assisting it 
southern neighbor, Afghanistan, by allowing critical 
non-military supplies to cross its territory. We hope that 
Uzbekistan, with its deep historical understanding of 
Afghanistan, can be actively involved in helping the OSCE's 
 
STATE 00062666  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
efforts to stabilize its southern neighbor.  In this regard, 
we would also encourage Uzbekistan to participate in regional 
training activities for borders and customs officials, so as 
to create more consistency in border practices across the 
region and to help stem the flow of illicit goods across the 
borders. 
 
As always, the United States supports the important role that 
the OSCE Project Coordinator's Office in Tashkent can play in 
assisting the Government of Uzbekistan to fulfill its 
Helsinki commitments and meet its security needs. We stand 
ready to support the Government and the Project Coordinator 
in their efforts. 
 
Thank you, Madame Chairperson. 
CLINTON