VZCZCXRO2389
PP RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0037/01 0071100
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071100Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1113
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0376
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 2443

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000037 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV ENRG ECON TI IR
SUBJECT: AHMADINEJAD IN TAJIKISTAN, CALLS TIES "STRATEGIC" 
 
REF: A. 09 DUSHANBE 1443 
     ¶B. 09 DUSHANBE 1434 
     ¶C. 09 DUSHANBE 997 
 
DUSHANBE 00000037  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid a 
24-hour state visit to Dushanbe.  He signed economic and social 
agreements with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, few of which 
were new or substantive.  The Iranians committed to provide $6 
million to complete the long-delayed Istiqlol tunnel north of 
Dushanbe and agreed to look into building a hydroelectric dam on 
the Zaravshan River.  The Iranians and Tajiks signed agreements 
on extradition, cooperation in earth sciences, and parliamentary 
cooperation.  Rahmon publicly supported Iran's right to pursue a 
"peaceful nuclear program," while Ahmadinejad delivered a screed 
against world superpowers seeking to trample Iran's rights. 
Despite the show of solidarity, a significant gulf remains 
between Tajikistan and Iran.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad paid a 24-hour 
state visit to Dushanbe this week, arriving on the morning of 
January 4 and departing the next day.  Ahmadinejad was 
accompanied by presidential advisor Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, the 
Iranian Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Energy, Oil, 
Roads and Transport, seven parliamentary deputies, the Secretary 
General of Iran's Red Crescent Society, and several deputy 
ministers.  During the visit Tajik and Iranian officials 
reportedly signed three letters of understanding, two documents 
and one joint statement on bilateral cooperation.  The 
delegation left for Turkmenistan on January 5. 
 
DUSHANBE YAWNS 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ahmadinejad's visit produced the usual snarl of traffic 
as police closed Dushanbe's two main streets to make way for 
official motorcades.  While coverage in the local media was 
widespread, the visit did not even make the top slot in many 
news programs; this went to the ongoing epic struggle to build 
Roghun (Ref A).  A number of diplomats failed show up at the 
MFA-organized lineup to greet Ahmadinejad at the airport.  The 
Ambassador of Russia, for example, told us he was "too busy." 
Local news coverage was positive, although outside sources had 
more critical comments.  Andrey Gusev, writing in CentrAsia.ru, 
said Tajikistan and Iran were hardly soulmates, but Tajikistan 
risked making relations even worse by attempting to extort 
assistance from the Iranians by coyly threatening to cozy up to 
the Americans if the funding didn't materialize.  At the same 
time, he said, it was not lost on the Iranians that much of the 
money they provided ended up in the pockets of senior Tajik 
officials. 
 
Iranians Pledge to Finish Tunnel, Build New Power Plants 
 
¶4. (U) The Iranian Ministry of Energy signed an agreement with 
its Tajik counterpart to explore the construction of a new dam 
and hydropower plant on the Zaravshan River north of Dushanbe. 
With the recent completion of the South-North electrical 
transmission line, the Zaravshan Valley is the only major region 
of the country not connected to a domestic grid.  The valley's 
three districts continue to receive their power from Uzbekistan 
on a pre-payment basis.  Since Uzbekistan's withdrawal from the 
Central Asian unified energy grid, however, increasing 
Tajikistan's energy self-reliance has become the government's 
single biggest priority (refs A and B).  According to news 
reports, Iran's Farab Company signed an agreement with Tajik 
state electricity company Barqi Tojik to conduct a feasibility 
study for the Ayni Dam, which, according to Tajik Minister of 
Energy and Industry Gul Sherali, will produce up to 170 MW of 
electricity.  The Iranian and Tajik presidents discussed ways to 
speed up construction of the 220 MW Sangtuda-2 hydropower plant, 
as well as prospects for collaborating on a small 21 MW power 
plant on the Iskandardarya River, also in the Zaravshan Valley, 
and the 870 MW Shurob hydropower station.  Sherali said the 
Iranians also would help Tajikistan train personnel for its oil 
and gas sector and would participate in exploration and 
development of gas fields in Tajikistan. 
 
¶5. (U) The Iranian delegation finally agreed to allocate $6 
million -- a $1 million grant and a $5 million preferential loan 
-- to complete the Istiqlol (or Anzob) Tunnel on the highway 
linking Dushanbe and the north of Tajikistan.  Iranian 
Ambassador to Tajikistan Ali-Asghar Sherdoust announced in 
September 2009 that the grant was authorized but the two 
governments were working out the repayment structure for the 
loan.  Although President Rahmon presided with great fanfare 
over the official opening of the tunnel more than three years 
ago, the project remains in a dangerous state of incompletion. 
The tunnel, which is the only all-weather route between the 
central and northern parts of the country, suffers from massive 
drainage and ventilation problems, an uneven road surface, and 
frequent closures. 
 
 
DUSHANBE 00000037  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Other Cooperation 
 
¶6. (U) Tajikistan's Main Geology Directorate signed an agreement 
with the Iranian Ministry of Industry and Mines to establish 
"national centers for earth studies, geomatics, and information 
technologies" in Tajikistan, according to media reports.  Tajik 
Prosecutor-General Bobojon Bobkhonov and Iranian Foreign 
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki signed an agreement on extradition 
of criminals, although details of the accord have not yet 
emerged.  The Tajik and Iranian presidents signed a joint 
statement on promoting bilateral cooperation, and Ahmadinejad, 
during a meeting with the Chairman of Tajikistan's Majlisi 
Namoyandagon (lower house of Parliament) agreed to expand 
parliamentary cooperation.  Ahmadinejad announced that Iran has 
ratified a bill to set up cultural centers in 26 countries, 
including Tajikistan. 
 
Rahmon Supports Iran's "Right to a Peaceful Nuclear Program" 
 
¶7. (U) At a joint news conference with Ahmadinejad, Rahmon said 
Tajikistan supported "Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear program 
at all levels."  Ahmadinejad responded that Tehran's ties to 
Dushanbe were "strategic, profound, consolidated, and durable." 
According to official state statistics, trade turnover between 
the two countries totaled $115 million over the first 11 months 
of 2009.  The majority of this was Tajik imports from Iran, 
including building materials, foodstuffs, electricity equipment, 
household appliances, and agricultural products (ref C). 
 
...While Ahmadinejad Lashes Out at "Bullying Powers," U.S. 
 
¶8. (U) Ahmadinejad used the occasion of a visit to Iranian 
residents of Dushanbe to deliver the usual screed against 
outside intervention in Iran's affairs, saying Iran would "under 
no circumstances give up even one iota of its legitimate 
rights."  He said the era of colonialism was over, although 
others continued to try to trample Iran's rights.  Iran was 
leading the way, however.  "The name of the Islamic Republic of 
Iran manifests culture, arts and justice in the world while the 
name of the U.S. demonstrates torture, looting, killing, and 
crimes for world public opinion."  Tajikistan and Iran were on 
the same side of this battle, he said, sharing a culture and 
values.  Note:  Tajik Minister of Culture Mirzoshokhura Asrori 
canceled an unofficial trip to Israel to attend the Congress of 
Bukharan Jews, which took place on January 5 in Tel Aviv. 
Organizers in Israel speculated that he could not afford to be 
seen going to Israel during Ahmadinejad's visit. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Comment:  Despite their (partly) shared cultural and 
linguistic heritage, Iranian and Tajik leaders often view each 
other with more distrust than bonhomie (ref C).  Ahmadinejad's 
visit does little to change this impression.  The agreements 
signed by the two countries either tread old ground (Anzob 
tunnel), are preliminary (Ayni hydropower station), or have 
little substance (the rest of them).  Rahmon's endorsement of 
Iran's pursuit of "peaceful" nuclear power contrasts with 
Tajikistan's efforts to court support from anyone who will give 
it, including the United States and even Israel.  Against this 
backdrop, such statements remind us that talk is cheap.  End 
comment. 
GROSS