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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 TASHKENT 000019 
 
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/14 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM MARR UZ
SUBJECT: Uzbekistan: GOU Proposals for ABC Follow-on 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Nicholas Berliner, Pol-Econ Chief; REASON: 1.4(A), 
(B), (D) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The Uzbek MFA provided the Embassy with the GOU's 
proposed follow-on to the Annual Bilateral Consultations (ABC) on 
January 12. Although there are several differences in their 
document (particularly in the Human Dimension), it represents a 
serious response conveyed with the message that, at the highest 
levels, Tashkent wants to take this process forward. Despite having 
deleted several U.S. proposals on human rights issues, the MFA 
pointed out that such issues could nevertheless be discussed, as 
they had been in Washington in December. Most importantly, there is 
a clearly communicated expectation that the ABC process should soon 
begin to produce tangible results, both in the form of follow 
through to the GOU's request for "military-technical cooperation" 
and in the form of a high-level visit. The Uzbek leadership is 
likely amenable to expanded cooperation on Afghanistan, including 
measures to support the "plus up" in forces, but is seeking 
confirmation that the relationship with the U.S. has moved beyond 
sanctions.  End Summary. 
 
 
 
¶2. (C) The Uzbek Foreign Ministry convoked DCM and Pol-Econ Chief 
on January 12 to share the text of the GOU's formal response to our 
proposed ABC follow-on agenda. Americas Division Chief Bakhtiyor 
Ibragimov made a point of noting that the agenda had been approved 
by President Karimov himself (a point also noted in the diplomatic 
note conveying the text). He said that the GOU was very happy with 
the December 17-18 talks in Washington and is eager to move forward 
across the full range of the agenda. Ibragimov emphasized that 
Karimov has taken a personal interest in this process and that 
tangible results will be needed to move from dialogue to action. He 
noted that there are still skeptics in the Uzbek bureaucracy who 
will only be convinced by deeds. 
 
 
 
¶3. (C) In spelling out what the GOU would take as evidence of U.S. 
sincerity, Ibragimov noted that a visit by Secretary Clinton to 
Tashkent would be taken as a very constructive gesture that could 
go a long way towards opening up greater cooperation across a range 
of issues. (Note: This request is the first item in the document 
the GOU produced - attached at Para 6. There is also a mention of a 
visit by SRAP Holbrooke to Tashkent, which the GOU appears to 
expect. End Note.) He also noted the pending request for 
"military-technical cooperation" and the need to follow through 
with the visit of the Special Working Group (SWG) to Tashkent in 
the first quarter of this year to assess the needs and capabilities 
of Uzbekistan's armed forces.  The GOU expects a serious dialogue 
on this issue and a professional team that can go back with 
specific recommendations, rather than a promise to "explore the 
issue further." 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Overall, the document the GOU produced represents a serious 
response to our proposals with few surprises. Apart from the 
predictable inclusion of references to Karimov's "6 plus 3" 
proposal for Afghanistan, the most significant GOU changes come in 
the Human Dimension, where the Uzbeks removed references to 
religious freedom, child labor and reviewing human rights cases. 
Ibragimov said that, while the MFA understood that these questions 
would be discussed, as they were in Washington, it was impossible 
to agree to their inclusion in a document. (Note: This has been a 
consistent position on the part of the GOU, reflecting President 
Karimov's neuralgia at any hint of criticism or "grading" of 
Uzbekistan. The MFA knows they will not avoid discussions of these 
issues, but cannot openly contradict Karimov. The fact that FM 
Norov sent a thank you letter to A/S Posner is an indication of 
openness to discuss human rights and of the fact that, despite 
eliminating these references from the initial ABC agenda, Norov did 
not feel "ambushed" by the fact that such a discussion took place 
in Washington. End Note.) 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) Comment:  Our engagement with Uzbekistan is very quickly 
 
TASHKENT 00000019  002 OF 005 
 
 
reaching the point where we will have to make some hard decisions. 
There is a critical need to maintain momentum. We expect that 
further enhancements to NDN, such as approval to ship armored M-ATV 
vehicles and refrigerated cargo will be approved without further 
"signals." However, to sustain this level of cooperation, even as 
we consider other options to support the Afghanistan "plus up," we 
will need to be able to respond tangibly to the Uzbeks' request on 
"military-technical cooperation" and be prepared for the type of 
high-level engagement they are seeking. We do not believe that 
closer cooperation on Afghanistan must come at the price of 
lessening the emphasis we place on human rights. In fact, 
independent of this, experience on the ground has shown that the 
only way to move forward with the Uzbeks is through principled 
engagement. Closer cooperation could produce "forcing events" for 
progress on human rights and lessen GOU suspicion of U.S. motives, 
thus allowing the regime to loosen its vise on civil society. 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Text of Uzbek MFA Diplomatic Note on ABC Follow-on: 
 
 
 
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN 
 
N 20/1016 
 
 
 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan 
presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of 
America in Tashkent and in reply to the diplomatic note number 
2013, dated December 30, 2009, has the honor to inform that, with a 
view to further development and strengthening of 
mutually-beneficial Uzbek-American relations, consistent 
implementation of provisions of the Declaration on Strategic 
Partnership and Cooperation Framework Between the Republic of 
Uzbekistan and the United States of America signed in 2002, as well 
as implementation of other bilateral intergovernmental and 
interagency agreements in political, trade, economic and 
humanitarian areas, a Resolution of the President of the Republic 
of Uzbekistan was adopted in January 11, 2010 with an approved 2010 
Action Plan on strengthening bilateral cooperation between the 
Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States of America. 
 
 
 
The Uzbek Side positively assesses the results of the First Round 
of Annual Political Consultations that took place in Washington, 
DC, on December 17-18, 2009, and notes significant practical 
importance of proposals made by the American Side on the further 
development of bilateral relations in political, security, 
economic, and human dimension areas, as well as in the achievement 
of peace and stability in Afghanistan, which were considered in the 
Action Plan. The Ministry hopes to have constructive cooperation of 
the American Side in joint implementation of the action Plan. 
 
The Ministry avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the 
Embassy the assurances of its highest consideration. 
 
 
 
Tashkent, January 12, 2010. 
 
The Embassy Of the United States of America 
 
Tashkent 
 
 
 
Action Plan on Strengthening Bilateral Cooperation between the 
Republic of Uzbekistan and the United States of America for 2010 
 
TASHKENT 00000019  003 OF 005 
 
 
¶I. In the Political Area 
 
- Organization of U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton's visit to 
Uzbekistan (first half-year period); 
 
- Organization of the visit to Uzbekistan for a group of U.S. 
Congressman - members of Central Asia Caucus (first half-year 
period); 
 
- Uzbekistan's assistance in the organization of participation of 
U.S. representatives at SCO summit in Tashkent, with the consent of 
SCO member-states (first half-year period); 
 
- Conduct the Second Round of Uzbek-American Political 
Consultations in Tashkent in the second half of the year (first 
half-year period). 
 
 
 
II. In the Area of Security 
 
- Visit to Uzbekistan by a Special Working Group of the U.S. 
Department of State and U.S. Department of Defense assess the 
requirements of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan in 
particular types of military equipment and ammunition, and for 
organization of their supply under the framework of the FMF and EDA 
programs (first quarter); 
 
- Organization of training and continuing education for Uzbek 
officers (education sessions and trainings) in leading 
military-training institutions of the United States, including 
under the IMET program framework (first half-year period); 
 
- Allotment of a representative of the Republic of Uzbekistan to 
the Headquarters of U.S. Central Command in Tampa (Florida) in 
order to increase coordination efficiency of military and 
military-technical cooperation (first quarter); 
 
- Cooperation in the area of border security and nonproliferation, 
realization of U.S. technical assistance programs in this area 
(second half-year period); 
 
- Organization of the visit to Uzbekistan by D. Benjamin, 
Coordinator of the U.S. Department of State Counterterrorism Office 
for discussion of bilateral cooperation issues in the area of 
antiterrorism efforts (first half-year period); 
 
 
 
III. In the Area of Economic Development 
 
- Organization of a roundtable on attracting American investments 
and advanced technologies to the Republic of Uzbekistan, including 
to the Free Industrial Economic Zone "Navoi" (first half-year 
period); 
 
- Holding consultations on the completion by the American Side of 
all internal procedures within USG to ratify the intergovernmental 
agreement signed in December 1994 on "Encouragement and mutual 
protection of foreign investment" (first half-year period); 
 
- Assistance in participation of U.S. companies at the meeting of 
the Council of Governors of Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 
Tashkent (first half-year period); 
 
- Organization of visit of business representatives of the republic 
to the U.S. within the framework of SABIT program to familiarize 
with American experience in such areas as food processing and 
renewable energy (first half-year period); 
 
- Creation of a Joint Forum for U.S. and Uzbek farmers to exchange 
know-how on farming practices (second half-year period); 
 
- Increase of U.S. assistance in implementation of projects in 
Uzbekistan aimed at the modernization of irrigation systems, land 
 
TASHKENT 00000019  004 OF 005 
 
 
reclamation and restoration of degenerated land, and attracting new 
technology for improvement of agricultural yields (February); 
 
- Organization of consultations on the matter of cancelling the 
Jackson-Vanik Amendment in regard to the Republic of Uzbekistan 
(first half-year period); 
 
- Holding the next meeting of the Trade and Investment Framework 
Agreement (TIFA) in Tashkent, with the participation of Afghanistan 
(first half-year period); 
 
 
 
IV. In the Area of the Human Dimension. 
 
- Completion of approval and signing of the Agreement between the 
Government of Uzbekistan and Government of United States of 
American on Science and Technology (first quarter); 
 
- Organization of a meeting between experts of both countries on 
issues of expanding the contacts between U.S. and Uzbekistan 
scientific organizations and attracting grants to development of 
scientific researches in priority directions of modern science and 
technology (first quarter); 
 
- Implementation of joint academic and educational programs (first 
quarter); 
 
- Identification of a higher educational institution (University) 
in the USA that would open its branch in Uzbekistan (second 
half-year period); 
 
- Creation of scientific and cultural contacts between appropriate 
bodies in the U.S. and Uzbekistan for the wider familiarization of 
American society with rich historical and cultural heritage of 
Uzbekistan (first quarter); 
 
- Providing assistance to strengthen the material-technical base of 
Uzbek organizations dealing with issues of historical and cultural 
heritage preservation by attracting financing from the U.S. 
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation and other American 
funds (second half-year period); 
 
- Development of cooperation in the area of healthcare under USAID 
programs (first quarter); 
 
- Organization of trainings for employees of Uzbek law-enforcement 
agencies on methods and tactics used in fighting against human 
trafficking, learning preventative measures and assisting the 
victims of human trafficking, as well as providing the rights and 
interest of defendants during investigations of such criminal cases 
(third quarter); 
 
- Hosting roundtables and seminars on improvement of national 
legislation related to habeas corpus, rights of defendants and 
court procedures (third quarter); 
 
- Organization of orientation trips for Uzbek media representatives 
to the U.S. to exchange experiences (first quarter). 
 
 
 
¶V. In the Area of Providing Peace and Stability in Afghanistan 
 
- Organization of the visit to Uzbekistan for R. Holbrook, U.S. 
Special Envoy on Afghanistan and Pakistan (February); 
 
- Conducting jointly with Atlantic Council a special event, 
dedicated to the implementation of Uzbek initiative in the area of 
regional security, creation of a 6+3Contact Group on Afghanistan 
under the aegis of the U.N. (second half-year period); 
 
- Exchange of information about the threats and measures to prevent 
them, related to the transit of non-military cargo via the Northern 
Distribution Network to Afghanistan, including within the framework 
 
TASHKENT 00000019  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
of Khayraton-Mazari-Sharif railroad construction project 
implementation (first quarter); 
 
- Expansion of U.S. local procurements of goods for supplying to 
the IRoA through the Northern Distribution Network (first quarter). 
 
 
 
End Text Diplomatic Note 
NORLAND