Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUSHANBE1222
2006-06-30 13:01:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Dushanbe
Cable title:
RAO UES AND WORLD BANK PRESSING TAJIK ENERGY MINISTRY
how-toVZCZCXRO6106 PP RUEHDBU DE RUEHDBU #1222 1811301 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 301301Z JUN 06 FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7960 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1679 RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 1698 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1594 RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1616 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1667 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL RUEPGDA/USEUCOM JIC VAIHINGEN GE RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1205 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0989 RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0063 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 9251
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001222
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EMBASSY MANILA: PLEASE PASS TO ADB AMBASSADOR SPELTZ
TDA FOR SCOTT GREENIP AND DAN STEIN
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/SE, EB
TDA FOR SCOTT GREENIP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG EINV RS TI
SUBJECT: RAO UES AND WORLD BANK PRESSING TAJIK ENERGY MINISTRY
REF: DUSHANBE 326
CLASSIFIED BY: Thomas H. Armbruster, Charge d'Affairs, US
Embassy Dushanbe, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001222
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EMBASSY MANILA: PLEASE PASS TO ADB AMBASSADOR SPELTZ
TDA FOR SCOTT GREENIP AND DAN STEIN
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/SE, EB
TDA FOR SCOTT GREENIP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG EINV RS TI
SUBJECT: RAO UES AND WORLD BANK PRESSING TAJIK ENERGY MINISTRY
REF: DUSHANBE 326
CLASSIFIED BY: Thomas H. Armbruster, Charge d'Affairs, US
Embassy Dushanbe, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) The World Bank is advocating that Russian energy giant
RAO UES be the official sponsor of an international energy
meeting in Dushanbe, but Tajik energy officials are unsure of
the signal that will send to other investors, and hope to get a
"more neutral" sponsor, such as the Asian Development Bank, to
assist with costs. Minister of Energy Abdullo Yerov told PolOff
June 30 that World Bank's Raghu Sharma visited Tajikistan June
15 and wanted Tajikistan to accept RAO UES as the "only" sponsor
of the October energy meeting. RAO has in turn added the
condition that if it provides financial support, it must have a
seat at all intergovernmental working groups.
2. (C) The Dushanbe event, intended as a follow-up to previous
regional energy meetings in Islamabad May 8-9 and Istanbul June
12-14, aims to bring together investors, governments and private
companies. Yerov appointed Deputy Energy Minister Suleimanov to
coordinate logistics for the October meeting, including inviting
regional government delegations. (NOTE: Suleimanov is also the
Energy Ministry's point person on the Rogun hydropower station
project. Russian Aluminum company RusAl has claimed Rogun for
its use, but failed to secure financing for the 3600 MW project.
END NOTE.)
3. (C) Yerov said his ministry was in the process of sending
invitations to other governments to join the working group, as
part of the memorandum of understanding signed in Istanbul.
However, the working group would go beyond the four countries
that signed the MOU- Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and
Tajikistan -- and include Russia, if RAO has its way.
4. (C) Yerov and Suleimanov suggested that the United States
might also be able to help defray costs of hotels and
hospitality for the guests. PolOff suggested that in lieu of a
sponsor, the Ministry of Energy might tap multiple resources,
including AES. AES's Dushanbe representative Oumed Latipov
suggested to PolOff they would be more than willing to assist.
5. (C) COMMENT: At the Istanbul conference, EmbOff overheard
Sharma pressing Deputy Prime Minister Ghulomov to let RAO UES
sponsor the Dushanbe meeting, and it appears he continues to
advocate strongly for the Russian company. If RAO UES dominates
the October meeting, the Tajiks run the risk of scaring off
other investors and the regional momentum of Istanbul could be
lost, as the working group turns from working into defending old
interests and turf, rather than finding a way to share
electricity. Post will continue to work with the Energy
Ministry to find ways for AES to co-sponsor events. END
COMMENT.
ARMBRUSTER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
EMBASSY MANILA: PLEASE PASS TO ADB AMBASSADOR SPELTZ
TDA FOR SCOTT GREENIP AND DAN STEIN
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/SE, EB
TDA FOR SCOTT GREENIP
E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ENRG EINV RS TI
SUBJECT: RAO UES AND WORLD BANK PRESSING TAJIK ENERGY MINISTRY
REF: DUSHANBE 326
CLASSIFIED BY: Thomas H. Armbruster, Charge d'Affairs, US
Embassy Dushanbe, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1. (C) The World Bank is advocating that Russian energy giant
RAO UES be the official sponsor of an international energy
meeting in Dushanbe, but Tajik energy officials are unsure of
the signal that will send to other investors, and hope to get a
"more neutral" sponsor, such as the Asian Development Bank, to
assist with costs. Minister of Energy Abdullo Yerov told PolOff
June 30 that World Bank's Raghu Sharma visited Tajikistan June
15 and wanted Tajikistan to accept RAO UES as the "only" sponsor
of the October energy meeting. RAO has in turn added the
condition that if it provides financial support, it must have a
seat at all intergovernmental working groups.
2. (C) The Dushanbe event, intended as a follow-up to previous
regional energy meetings in Islamabad May 8-9 and Istanbul June
12-14, aims to bring together investors, governments and private
companies. Yerov appointed Deputy Energy Minister Suleimanov to
coordinate logistics for the October meeting, including inviting
regional government delegations. (NOTE: Suleimanov is also the
Energy Ministry's point person on the Rogun hydropower station
project. Russian Aluminum company RusAl has claimed Rogun for
its use, but failed to secure financing for the 3600 MW project.
END NOTE.)
3. (C) Yerov said his ministry was in the process of sending
invitations to other governments to join the working group, as
part of the memorandum of understanding signed in Istanbul.
However, the working group would go beyond the four countries
that signed the MOU- Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and
Tajikistan -- and include Russia, if RAO has its way.
4. (C) Yerov and Suleimanov suggested that the United States
might also be able to help defray costs of hotels and
hospitality for the guests. PolOff suggested that in lieu of a
sponsor, the Ministry of Energy might tap multiple resources,
including AES. AES's Dushanbe representative Oumed Latipov
suggested to PolOff they would be more than willing to assist.
5. (C) COMMENT: At the Istanbul conference, EmbOff overheard
Sharma pressing Deputy Prime Minister Ghulomov to let RAO UES
sponsor the Dushanbe meeting, and it appears he continues to
advocate strongly for the Russian company. If RAO UES dominates
the October meeting, the Tajiks run the risk of scaring off
other investors and the regional momentum of Istanbul could be
lost, as the working group turns from working into defending old
interests and turf, rather than finding a way to share
electricity. Post will continue to work with the Energy
Ministry to find ways for AES to co-sponsor events. END
COMMENT.
ARMBRUSTER