TURKMENISTAN REFUSES TO MEET WITH P-3 AMBASSADORS

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000942 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/CACEN (PERRY),ISN/MNSA GENEVA FOR CD DELEGATION C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA MARKING CHANGED ON PARA 2. FROM (C) TO (SBU) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KNNP MARR PARM PREL TX UN SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN REFUSES TO MEET WITH P-3 AMBASSADORS ON CANWFZ TREATY SIGNING REF: A. ASHGABAT 930 ¶B. STATE 144180 ¶C. STATE 142440 ¶D. STATE 139268 ¶1. (SBU) After five days of unsuccessful efforts by P-3 ambassadors to meet with Turkmenistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashit Meredov, it is clear that the Government of Turkmenistan does not intend to engage with the P-3 on the Central Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (CANWFZ) treaty. The UK, French and U.S. Embassies have been calling once an hour throughout the work day (and throughout the weekend) since Friday, September 1 to get a meeting in order to deliver a joint demarche. The Kazakhstani Ambassador had earlier informed Charge on September 1, that his embassy had received a diplomatic note stating that the Turkmenistan's ambassador to Kazakhstan would attend the signing and sign the treaty on behalf of Turkmenistan (ref a). Although MFA each day has promised that a meeting with the minister would be forthcoming, the event never materialized. On September 6, P-3 ambassadors determined that Meredov was not authorized to engage with us on CANWFZ and sent the joint demarche under cover of a joint diplomatic note. Comment -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Given Meredov's efforts to duck this particular meeting, we are now certain that, as reported ref a, Turkmenistan has, in fact, decided to sign the treaty. End Comment. BRUSH