TAJIKISTAN CONSIDERS NUCLEAR FREE ZONE TREATY "OPEN AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001661 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/MNSA, SCA/CEN; NSC FOR MERKEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/7/2016 TAGS: PREL PARM MARR KNNP UN TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN CONSIDERS NUCLEAR FREE ZONE TREATY "OPEN AND FLEXIBLE REF: STATE 144180 CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy, Dushanbe, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy, Dushanbe, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Deputy Foreign Minister Yatimov said that Tajikistan had not made a final decision about signing the Central Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (CANWFZ) agreement in Kazakhstan September 8, and that they regarded the treaty as "open." In a 90-minute meeting with DCM and POLOFF September 6 (septel),he acknowledged the U.S. position, conveyed by diplomatic note September 1, but suggested that Tajikistan could sign the treaty and still remain flexible to future drafts and changes. Top Tajik officials would meet later that evening to decide, but Yatimov indicated Tajikistan would likely sign the agreement, citing Tajikistan's commitments as a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization. ¶2. (C) Yatimov underscored his position that signing the treaty still left the possibility to incorporate the United States' proposed changes. "It will be an open treaty," he opined, "This is not the last version." He noted he had received demarches from "many others." Mentioning specifically Iran, Yatimov noted that the "fragile" situation in the region meant it was important to sign now and make changes later. ¶3. (SBU) NOTE: In coordination with post, the British Ambassador and French Charge confirmed they sent written demarches to the Tajik government concerning the CANWFZ agreement September 4 and 5. The Russian Embassy political officer pulled aside DCM at the September 5 Uzbek Independence day event to ask why Washington was so "hot-headed" about the treaty. END NOTE: ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Yatimov chose his words carefully, but seemed inclined to support the treaty as part of their regional security commitments. END COMMENT. JACOBSON