VZCZCXRO1356
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHPW RUEHSK RUEHVK
RUEHYG
DE RUEHNT #0160/01 0291159
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291158Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1811
INFO ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
CIS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 000160 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/EGC DREW NELSON AND OES/S/SECC RACHEL KASTENBERG AND OES/PCI BARBARA CATES 
EMBASSY ASTANA FOR BRUCE HUDSPETH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KGHG ENRG TSPL SENV UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: SLOW APPROACH TO COPENHAGEN ACCORD 
 
REF: STATE 3079 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  Overall, Uzbekistan supports the Copenhagen 
Accord but doubts it can meet the January 31 deadline for 
notification of its wish to associate itself with the Accord. 
Uzbekistan's position is that it must finalize its nationally 
appropriate mitigation actions prior to official association.  In 
addition, Uzbekistan is waiting for clearer definitions of the 
terms for "international measurement, reporting and verification" 
of national mitigation actions and "international consultations and 
analysis" for those actions for which Uzbekistan will seek 
international support.  In a January 28 meeting with First Deputy 
Foreign Minister Kamilov, the Ambassador urged the GOU not to allow 
technical details stand in the way of association with the 
Copenhagen Accord.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) On January 27, Ambassador Norland met with climate change 
experts Gulnara Zubkova, Sergei Myagkov, and Malika Nazarova from 
the Center of Hydrometeorological Services (Uzhydromet). Coming 
under the Cabinet of Ministers, Uzhydromet is the GOU-designated 
National Focal Point for the United Nations Framework Convention on 
Climate Change; in response to our demarche, the MFA referred us to 
them.  Stressing the importance of climate change issues for the 
U.S., the Ambassador encouraged Uzbekistan to associate itself with 
the Copenhagen Accord by January 31. 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Zubkova responded that Uzbekistan generally supports the 
Copenhagen Accord; however, it cannot associate itself with the 
Accord by the given deadline.  She explained that to do so, 
Uzbekistan is required to finalize and submit its Nationally 
Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) by January 31, which she said 
is not feasible.  The completion of the NAMA process in Uzbekistan, 
she said, requires an extended economy-wide and inter-agency review 
and approval process in order to come up with a list of acceptable 
and realistic measures that must be in strict compliance with the 
developmental priorities of the country.  In the absence of such 
research, Zubkova continued, Uzbekistan will not commit itself to 
anything that is uncertain at this time.  In addition, Zubkova said 
the Copenhagen Conference had not clearly defined the terms for 
"international measurement, reporting and verification" of the 
national mitigation actions and "international consultations and 
analysis" for those actions for which Uzbekistan will most likely 
seek international support.  Zubkova said she expects 
internationally-supported actions in Uzbekistan will be subject to 
stricter reporting and transparency requirements than will actions 
supported strictly by national means. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Myagkov criticized poor planning of the Copenhagen 
Conference, stating that some Parties, not referring to any by 
name, attempted to use the event to pursue their national, selfish 
interests that were completely irrelevant.  He also said that the 
expected outcome -- i.e., the Accord -- could have been 
communicated to the Parties in advance of the event to facilitate 
negotiations and enable countries to formulate their positions. 
(NOTE:  Myagkov, who attended the Copenhagen Conference 
representing the GOU, made a joke saying that while the whole world 
gathered to complain about global warming, he caught cold because 
of freezing temperatures in Copenhagen.  End Note.) 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) In response to the Ambassador's inquiry, Zubkova described 
Uzbekistan's participation in the international emissions trading 
market through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto 
Protocol.  She said the GOU had designated the Ministry of Economy 
as the Designated National Authority (DNA) for CDM projects in 
Uzbekistan.  As of January 2010, she said, there are 55 
nationally-approved CDM projects.  She said the GOU is seeking 
investments totaling $1.6 billion USD to achieve a total of 14 
million tons of CO2-equivalent reductions in emissions (NOTE:  This 
reduction would account for 7 percent of total CO2 emissions in 
Uzbekistan. END NOTE).  She added, however, that in accordance with 
CDM rules, it will be the investor countries, not Uzbekistan, that 
will be able to claim credit for this reduction. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador also raised the Copenhagen Accord in a 
 
TASHKENT 00000160  002 OF 002 
 
 
separate meeting with First Deputy Foreign Minister Kamilov on 
January 28, encouraging the GOU to distinguish between association 
with the Accord and the need to provide finalized NAMAs.  While not 
diminishing the importance of well-thought-through actions to 
reduce emissions, the Ambassador told Kamilov that what is most 
important today is renewed momentum towards a convention to replace 
the Kyoto Protocol.  The Ambassador urged the GOU to associate 
officially with the Copenhagen Accord today and leave the technical 
studies for afterwards.  Kamilov said he would give this urgent 
consideration. 
NORLAND