Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ASHGABAT929
2006-09-01 14:26:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

KAZAKHSTANI FM TOKAYEV IN ASHGABAT: GOOD NEWS FOR

Tags:  CH EPET KNNP KZ OSCE PREL TX 
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7751
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0434
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC//DHO-2/REA/NMJIC-J2//
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J5/RUE//
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000929 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: CH EPET KNNP KZ OSCE PREL TX
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTANI FM TOKAYEV IN ASHGABAT: GOOD NEWS FOR
BORDERS, NIYAZOV-NAZARBAYEV MEETING DATE STILL NOT SET

REF: ASHGABAT 906

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer Brush for reasons 1.4 (B) and
(D).

Summary
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000929

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA (PERRY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: CH EPET KNNP KZ OSCE PREL TX
SUBJECT: KAZAKHSTANI FM TOKAYEV IN ASHGABAT: GOOD NEWS FOR
BORDERS, NIYAZOV-NAZARBAYEV MEETING DATE STILL NOT SET

REF: ASHGABAT 906

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Jennifer Brush for reasons 1.4 (B) and
(D).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) An August 30-31 visit by Kazakhstani Foreign Minister
Tokayev to Ashgabat ended with an exchange of instruments on
a five year-old agreement on delimitation and demarcation of
the 400 KM land border between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
The two also agreed to improve transportation links between
the two largest cities on either side of the border --
Turkmenbashy (formerly Krasnovodsk or Kizil Su) and Aqtau.
Foreign Minister Tokayev was unable to achieve his major
goal: setting a date for a Nazarbayev visit to Turkmenistan.
Although Niyazov expressed willingness in principle to meet
with his Kazakhstani counterpart, he pushed the encounter off
until the two sides could show "concrete results." According
to Kazakhstani Ambassador Atanov, Tokayev agreed to talk to
the Azerbaijanis to promote "trilateral" talks on Caspian Sea
delimitation. End Summary.

Meeting the President: Improved Contacts...
--------------


2. (SBU) Kazakh Foreign Minister Tokayev visited Ashgabat
August 30-31 in a visit which Kazakhstani Ambassador Atanov
had told the Charge would "thaw the ice" between the two
countries and prepare for a subsequent visit to
Turkmenistan's capital by Kazakhstan's President Nazarbayev
(reftel). During his visit, Tokayev met for 90 minutes with
Niyazov. He also met separately with Foreign Minister Rashit
Meredov. Most of Tokayev's time, however, was spent
sightseeing; he made the obligatory visit to the national
mosque where Niyazov,s parents and brothers are "buried,"
and toured the "Turkmenbashy Textile Complex," the Ice
Palace, the National Museum, the Independence Monument and
the Gulistan market.


3. (C) According to press reports, at the Niyazov meeting
Tokayev thanked the president for Turkmenistan's support of

Kazakhstan's bid for the OSCE chairmanship in 2009. The two
also discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation in the
energy sector and Tokayev reminded the president that
Kazakhstan could play a key role as a transit country for
transporting Turkmenistan's natural gas to China.
Kazakhstani Ambassador to Turkmenistan Murat Atanov told
Charge on September 1 that the Niyavoz-Tokayev meeting also
yielded agreement on strengthening transportation links
between Turkmenbashy and Aqtau to include a new railway and
highway, an international passenger bus line and possibly an
airlink between the two cities.

But a Presidential Meeting "Only When There Can Be Results"
-------------- --------------


4. (C) According to Atanov, while the president did not
disagree in principle to a meeting with his "friend,"
Nazarbayev, he indicated that the two should get together
only if there could be "concrete results." Consequently, the
two countries are looking at ten draft agreements, most
importantly in the fields of energy, trade and commerce, and
transportation. Atanov said that Tokayev also agreed to talk
to the Azerbaijani about "trilateral talks" on delimiting the
Caspian Sea, in particular at the triangle where all three
countries' claims converge. Atanov said that Tokayev
stressed the importance of delimitation of the sea bed.


5. (C) Atanov also emphasized that Niyazov had very
carefully described the differences in Kazakhstan's
development path versus Turkmenistan's and had asked for
Kazakhstan's respect for these differences. Atanov said that
Tokayev had responded that the Kazakhstanis were satisfied
with their decision to rely on market forces, the private
sector and to keep Kazakhstan's financial capital in
Kazakhstan (according Atanov, Tokayev was comparing this to
Turkmenistan's capital drain into foreign construction
companies).

Tokayev to Press: "Nothing Negative in Our Relations"

ASHGABAT 00000929 002 OF 002


--------------


6. (U) After the meeting, Tokayev reported to the press that
he had an "interesting" meeting, in which Niyazov had talked
about Turkmenistan's current economic situation and foreign
policy, and the prospect of Turkmenistan's future
development. Tokayev stated that, although each country had
its own model of development, the desire for mutual
cooperation and "exploitation of existing potential" united
the two countries. Noting that Kazakhstan played an
important transit role in energy exports, including of gas
exports to China, he called for a top-level meeting in order
to use "all potential to develop the mutually advantageous
cooperation" between the two countries.

Meeting with Meredov: Land Border Demarcation and
Delimitation
-------------- --------------


7. (C) Later on August 31, Meredov and Tokayev met at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a ceremonial signing of a
protocol for exchange of the ratified instruments for
demarcation and delimitation of the 426-kilometer land
boundary between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. The agreement
had been negotiated in 2001 and ratified by Kazakhstan in
2003, but the two countries had never exchanged instruments;
the new agreement finally entered into force with the August
31 signing. Atanov told Charge that Tokayev also raised with
Meredov -- but not with Niyazov -- the signing of a Central
Asian Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone treaty being pushed by the
Kazakhstani government (septel).

Comment
--------------


8. (C) Tokayev came away empty-handed if his main goal was
to set a date for Nazarbayev/Niyazov summit. If true, his
most important success was Turkmenistan's agreement to sign a
CANWFZ agreement. Possibilities for transportation links
between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, in particular following
Niyazov's decision to discontinue Turkmen Air Line flights to
Almaty, would constitute the first reverse in Niyazov's
ever-tighter vise on the ability of anyone to enter and leave
Turkmenistan. End Comment.

BRUSH