AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH STATE BORDER SERVICE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BAKU 001144 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM KNNP EAID RU IR AJ KZ TX SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH STATE BORDER SERVICE COMMANDER LT. GENERAL GULIYEV Classified By: AMB ANNE E. DERSE; REASONS 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: During a July 18 meeting with the Ambassador, State Border Services (SBS) Commander Guliyev described regional conflict as the main source of tensions along Azerbaijan,s land borders and said narcotics trafficking and illegal migration are also a problem. He highlighted the USG-SBS cooperation and Azerbaijani inter-agency cooperation. The Ambassador noted that the USG had sent a letter to the COM requesting that the Navy be identified as a supplementary implementing agent because it was a legal requirement for participation in the WMD-PPI project. She asked for Guliyev,s help in obtaining a positive response. Saying this was the first time he clearly understood it was a legal requirement, Guliyev promised to help but said he needed a little time. Reviewing regional cooperation, Guliyev said there were problems stemming from the lack of a Caspian Sea agreement with Iran, and Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan were not interested in anything. He pointed to Nagorno-Karabakh as the largest problem for regional border control. The Ambassador finished the meeting telling Guliyev that as a mature partner, the USG was looking to Azerbaijan to assume more cost and management responsibilities. End Summary. ¶2. (U) The Ambassador paid an introductory call on General-Lieutenant Elchin Guliyev, Commander in Chief of the State Border Services (SBS) on July 18. Guliyev welcomed the Ambassador and said he appreciated the support of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD),Department of State (DOS) and Coast Guard in helping the SBS implement mutual projects. Cooperation started in 2001, he said, and has been increasing since so the SBS is now seeing the results of its implementation efforts. ¶3. (U) The Ambassador noted that President Aliyev,s historic visit to Washington in the spring had laid the foundation to deepen and strengthen the bilateral relationship. She reviewed the three primary areas for cooperation: the global war on terror and regional and global security and stability, global energy security, and addressing democracy and freedom through political and economic reform. The Ambassador emphasized the important role of border security and the SBS in the global war on terror and thanked Guliyev for cooperating with EXBS and DTRA. 
Problems on Land Borders -------------- ¶4. (C) Guliyev agreed with the Ambassador; after President Aliyev,s visit, the U.S. and Azerbaijan are at a new stage in their relationship. Guliyev also agreed on the importance and need for border security, but said that Azerbaijan had some difficult realities to deal with along its borders. There is tension along the 390-kilometer border with Russia to the north because of the struggles in Dagestan and Chechnya. When the Soviet Union collapsed, he said, there were no existing border control stations. SBS had to work on infrastructure, especially building border crossing and control stations which EXBS helped equip. He noted that a U.S. survey team is currently assessing the situation in Balakand. Guliyev also pointed out that Azerbaijan shares a 480-kilometer border with Georgia. Criminals and terrorists sometimes cross the borders and are captured, he noted. Guliyev said that the 1007-kilometer problem along Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven occupied territories is a problem because 25 percent of Azerbaijan,s territory is now under occupation. He also pointed out the 11-kilometer border with Turkey and 765 kilometer border with Iran. ¶5. (SBU) Narcotics are a problem along the land borders, he said, adding that the information from 2001-2004 regarding the narcotics situation is still the same today. Also, illegal migration is a large problem, especially after the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq when crowds of people tried to cross into Azerbaijan through Iran. Many had no documents and it was hard to determine their purpose in crossing the border, he said. Some Good News( -------------- ¶6. (C) There were some successes, he noted. Along the Russian border, the SBS seized and arrested two criminal/terrorist groups that used to operate along the border in July 2002. Azerbaijan also arrested 40 people, 39 arrested by the SBS along the border, in connection with September 11, Guliyev said. He thanked the Ambassador for U.S. assistance with name and background checks when the SBS arrested terrorist BAKU 00001144 002 OF 003 suspects. The Ambassador pointed out that Azerbaijan is regarded as a partner with a large role in the fight against global terrorism in Washington and thanked Guliyev for his cooperation. The fact that Azerbaijan was one of the first countries to call and offer support after 9/11 is also well remembered, the Ambassador noted. Counter-Terrorism Reduction on the Seas -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The maritime borders are now big priorities, Guliyev said, thanking the Ambassador for DOS assistance on the installation of radars and the repairs and installation of modern equipment on SBS vessels. Guliyev also pointed out that cooperation between the agencies in Azerbaijan was important. Guliyev pointed to the joint Navy, Coast Guard, and Ministry of Emergency Services (MES) exercises on the Caspian and joint Navy-Coast Guard exercises to illustrate the SBS cooperating with other agencies &at the highest level.8 He said the SBS has been working hard as the implementing agent for the Counter-Terrorism Reduction program and is in discussions to work on more vessels. He also mentioned that the SBS is close to completing the maritime base in Astara, on the border with Iran. The Ambassador asked if it would be finished by October. While Guliyev initially thought it would be finished by August, with input from his staff it was determined that it would likely be later. After finishing the operating base and repairs to the Coast Guard vessels, Guliyev said the next step was installing surveillance systems, radar, and repairing Navy vessels. ¶8. (SBU) The Ambassador said she was pleased to hear about the inter-agency cooperation and progress on the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program. Cooperation between the SBS and Navy on the WMD PPI would strengthen those efforts, the Ambassador pointed out. Guliyev responded that there is usually only one implementing agent, and assured the Ambassador that the SBS was doing an excellent job. He said he had met with the First Deputy Prime Minister and had promised to do anything that the Navy needed. Guliyev noted that rumors that SBS was reluctant to work with the Navy were false. As the implementing agent, Guliyev said he represented the GOAJ and not just the SBS. Guliyev assured the Ambassador that any concerns the USG had would be addressed. The Ambassador pointed out that we had asked for a letter designating the Navy as a supplementary implementing agent because it was a legal requirement for the Navy to receive assistance. Assuring Guliyev that the SBS played a critical role, the Ambassador asked for Guliyev,s assistance in getting a positive response. Saying this was the first time he clearly understood it was a legal requirement, Guliyev said he would help but needed a little time. The Ambassador thanked Guliyev and complimented him on how far the SBS had come in four years. Cooperation Outline -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Ambassador also thanked Guliyev for his cooperation with DTRA and EXBS, citing the USD 10 million Department of Energy radiation detection project with 10,000 kilograms of equipment that had already arrived. She also mentioned the upcoming September U.S. Border Patrol survey along the border with Iran, saying we could work together to rectify any problems that were identified. Guliyev thanked her and said he was pleased with EXBS and the Coast Guard. The Ambassador also praised SBS, International Counter-Proliferation exercises and the English training participation. Guliyev noted he himself had been to the U.S. twice and Admiral Barret had made an important visit to Azerbaijan. The Ambassador said she made no promises but would try to convince the new Coast Guard Commandant to visit. The Ambassador also pointed out that the USG was providing four new boats, two RHIBS and two safe-boats. Guliyev noted that these vessels would operate out of the newly construced boat basin in Astara; the Ambassador said that she might attend. Guliyev said he would provide her more information about the event. He also pointed out that the media sometimes misinformed the public, calling American cooperation with the GOAJ control of the GOAJ. He said it was Azerbaijan,s duty to protect its borders the same way Russia, Turkey and Iran do. ¶10. (C) The Ambassador asked about the SBS, cooperation with neighboring countries. Guliyev said that Azerbaijan generally wants to cooperate with its neighbors. Iran frequently violates Azerbaijan,s borders, he said, citing several BAKU 00001144 003 OF 003 incidents in 2001-2003. It still happens, he said and noted he expressed his objections to his Iranian counterparts. The problem according to Guliyev is the lack of agreement about the Caspian Sea, where old delineations under the Soviet Union can no longer be used when violations occur. The cooperation with Russia was good, Guliyev said. He noted he had been working to strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan, and now that Kazakhstan had joined the BTC project the need was even greater. However, he said, the SBS has seen no effort from Kazakhstan. Turkmenistan, he said, was completely closed to cooperation. Guliyev added that he had invited counterparts to Azerbaijan, but no one ever came and he was never invited in return. The Ambassador pointed out that Azerbaijan was in a tough neighborhood as a small country. Guliyev agreed but said he viewed Nagorno-Karabakh as the main problem. Given the complex border issues, Guliyev underscored that the SBS reported directly to President Aliyev. ¶11. (U) The Ambassador thanked Guliyev for his cooperation with neighboring countries. She also pointed out that Azerbaijan was now entering a new stage as a mature partner that would begin managing more costs and responsibilities for projects. HYLAND