TAJIKISTAN: RUSSIA KICKS OFF ITS G-8 YEAR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 000236 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/CACEN, EUR/RUS, EUR/PGI, SA S/CT, INL NSC FOR MERKEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL RS TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN: RUSSIA KICKS OFF ITS G-8 YEAR DUSHANBE 00000236 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please handle accordingly. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Ambassador convened the other G-8 ambassadors on February 2 to announce a cooperative effort during the Russian G-8 presidency. Although this seems to be mostly a public relations effort, it is welcome. We will seize the opportunity to promote concrete cooperation where possible, especially in counter-narcotics and counterterrorism. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (U) Russian Ambassador to Tajikistan Ramazan Abdulatipov invited the representatives of the G-8 nations resident in Dushanbe to his embassy on February 2. The UK, French, and U.S. ambassadors and the German and Japanese charges attended. Italy and Canada do not have resident missions in Dushanbe. Each participant received an information package that included a four-page history of Russia's participation in the G-7/G-8, two pages of press statements by President Putin on Russia's right to be in the G-8 (including from his January 31 press conference),and a five-point agenda proposal for the coming year: -- That the G-8 ambassadors meet quarterly during the year; -- That they conduct joint press conference on the progress of G-8 work in the region; -- That they organize regular joint meetings with Tajik officials responsible for combating narcotics and terrorism; -- That they organize informal meetings with the Tajik Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assess G-8 work in Tajikistan; and -- That an international conference take place in Fall 2006 in Dushanbe, "Energy and Ecological Security in Central Asia: Problems and Possibilities," organized by the German Ebert Foundation and the U.S. Marshall Fund, with participation by research centers from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Japan, with the G-8 diplomatic corps and international media in attendance. ¶4. (SBU) The UK Ambassador, given first response, welcomed the Russian initiative. When the U.S. Ambassador praised the initiative and welcomed the Russian spirit of cooperation, Abdulatipov said that Russia wants to demonstrate that in Central Asia it can work with, rather than compete with, other countries. The U.S. Ambassador asked if such G-8 "cooperative meetings" were taking place in the other Central Asian capitals, Ambassador Abdulatipov responded that "this is an initiative from our Foreign Ministry, of course." The French Ambassador and the German Charge pressed for the local EU working-level representative to be included in all meetings "since the EU is a de facto member of the G-8." Ambassador Abdulatipov demurred and said the meetings are for full members only, "although occasional observers will not be turned away." ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: The Russian initiative is a welcome public relations effort. That said, the meeting at the Russian Embassy had an element of kabuki theater. Abdulatipov, although formally cordial, appeared somewhat uneasy, and the meeting was relatively stiff. There was a check-the-box quality to his effort. Nevertheless, Embassy Dushanbe will use this Russian initiative to promote concrete Russian-U.S. efforts in DUSHANBE 00000236 002.2 OF 002 counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism, at the least. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND