Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DUSHANBE306
2006-02-15 09:00:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Dushanbe
Cable title:  

ONE STEP FORWARD: NDI ACTING DEPUTY RE-REGISTERED BY TAJIK

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM TI 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7669
OO RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHDBU #0306 0460900
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 150900Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6706
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0003
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0011
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 1355
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 1298
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0003
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1329
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 7815
UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000306 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR P, SCA, EUR
NSC FOR MILLARD, MERKEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM TI
SUBJECT: ONE STEP FORWARD: NDI ACTING DEPUTY RE-REGISTERED BY TAJIK
GOVERNMENT


UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000306

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR P, SCA, EUR
NSC FOR MILLARD, MERKEL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM TI
SUBJECT: ONE STEP FORWARD: NDI ACTING DEPUTY RE-REGISTERED BY TAJIK
GOVERNMENT



1. As First Deputy Foreign Minister Yatimov categorically
promised the Ambassador February 14, the Tajik Government
re-registered National Democratic Institute (NDI) Acting Deputy
Director Nurul Rakhimbekov February 15, the last possible day
before his legal status would have lapsed.


2. DCM accompanied Rakhimbekov to the Ministry of Interior's
Office of Visa and Foreign Registration (OVIR) for another round
of haggling and urgent calls to the MFA. A cordial meeting with
the Lt. Colonel in charge produced no result, and the
NDI/Embassy delegation was turned away in the morning. DCM
received a call from the Lt. Colonel in the early afternoon,
with news that the problem had been solved, and expressing
thanks for all of the humanitarian and development assistance
provided by the United States. Foreign policy is probably out
of the Lt. Colonel's usual realm of responsibility, so we assume
that he was passing on these good wishes on behalf of the MFA.
After a subordinate mistakenly prolonged Rakhimbekov's
registration for only one day, the documents were finalized with
the usual three-month extension, allowing Rakhimbekov, a Kazakh
citizen, to reside in Tajikistan as a private citizen until at
least May.


3. DCM informed OVIR that NDI Acting Director Gegham Sargsyan
would return at the end of the month to be re-registered, as the
Ambassador had likewise agreed with Yatimov. The Lt. Colonel
foresaw no problem. The meeting ended on a good note, with the
Lt. Colonel bragging about his son's computer and English
skills, and the DCM offering to speak with his son if he would
like to practice his English. "Umed" has the DCM's cell phone
number and will no doubt be calling soon.


4. COMMENT: Keeping the Government of Tajikistan's open-door
foreign policy relatively balanced sometimes takes intense
Embassy effort and personal intervention. NDI has been one of
our hardest cases. We believe the first sign of break-through
came February 2 when Yatimov admitted to the Ambassador the NDI
issue is "political," not "legal-technical." The next step is
to get Sargsyan re-registered. He is, ironically, currently in
Poland leading a political study tour for members of President
Rahmonov's Peoples Democratic Party. END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND