LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TOLD TO BUILD TIES WITH RUSSIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000980 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, EUR, EAP, AND DRL E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL UZ SUBJECT: LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TOLD TO BUILD TIES WITH RUSSIA AND CHINA Classified By: AMB. JON R. PURNELL, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) The GOU is encouraging local NGOs and civic leaders to focus their international activities on cooperation with Russia and China. In a meeting on March 8 in celebration of International Women's Day, Deputy Prime Minister Svetlana Inamova told a group of local women civic leaders that they should work more with Russian and Chinese organizations. Inamova and Oliy Majlis Senator Farida Abdurahimova are reportedly organizing a thirty-member women's delegation to visit China for a citizen exchange. ¶2. (C) At a meeting in April, Tashkent City Deputy Mayor Anvar Ahmedov, who is reportedly a National Security Service (NSS) officer, told one of the civic leaders to work closely with Russian and Chinese organizations. (Note: Our contact, whose NGO organizes international exchanges, told Poloff that most Uzbeks would prefer to visit the United States or Europe. End note.) After mentioning that she wanted to attend a UN Conference on the Status of Women in New York, Ahmedov replied that "there are more interesting conferences to attend in Russia and China." Ahmedov also went so far as to tell our contact that she was "too active," and that GOU agencies were well aware of her regular meetings with U.S. diplomats. PURNELL