A/S BOUCHER'S MAY 30 MEETING WITH EUROPEAN DDG

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002992

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2026
TAGS: PGOV PREL KZ KG UZ TI TX JA
SUBJECT: A/S BOUCHER'S MAY 30 MEETING WITH EUROPEAN DDG
YAGI ON CENTRAL ASIA

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer. Reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) Summary. MOFA DDG for Europe Takeshi Yagi told
visiting SCA A/S Richard Boucher that Japan will hold its
second round of Foreign Ministerial-level talks with Central
Asian nations on Monday, June 5. Tokyo hopes the Central
Asian countries will adopt an Action Plan that will include
inter-regional cooperation and other areas covered in a
diagram that he passed to the Assistant Secretary.
Attendance at the meeting is still undecided and Yagi pointed
out that a Russian official said that the talks were an
"unuseful" rival to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO). Afghanistan's Foreign Minister will also attend the
meeting and Tokyo will stress the importance of its
integration through regional projects such as the
construction of a highway from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.
DDG Yagi said that Japanese Foreign Minister Aso told Uzbeki
Deputy Prime Minister Azimov during his Tokyo visit in May
that the Japanese government wants more efforts towards
democratization and respect for human rights. The Japanese
government slashed ODA to Uzbekistan dramatically last year
to the two million USD level. Japan hopes that Uzbekistan
will better resist efforts to be pushed further into the
Russian camp. DDG Yagi noted that Japan, the U.S. and the EU
are limited in their Central Asian participation compared to
Russia and called for close coordination of Western efforts.
End summary.

Japan-Central Asia Foreign Ministerial Talks
--------------


2. (C) During a May 30 meeting, MOFA DDG for Europe Takeshi
Yagi briefed visiting SCA A/S Richard Boucher on plans for
Japan's second Foreign Ministerial level consultations with
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kygyzstan, Tajikistan and
Turkmenistan on June 5 in Tokyo. These consultations started
two years ago after then Foreign Minister Yuriko Kawaguchi's
trip to Kazakhstan in August 2004 resulted in the group's
first meeting. Although Tokyo wanted to meet last summer,
the Japanese Diet elections intervened and required MOFA to
postpone the meeting, DDG Yagi explained. This year Japan
has also invited Afghanistan, and Afghan Foreign Minister
Rangeen Spanta has indicated he will attend. Japan hopes the
group can adopt a five-point Action Plan, which would include
greater intra-regional cooperation. DDG Yagi provided A/S
Boucher with a diagram outline of the Action Plan.


3. (c) Attendance is still undecided, noted DDG Yagi.
Turkmenistan had initially indicated it would send its
Foreign Minister but notified Tokyo on May 30 that it would
not send anyone -- a move anticipated by MOFA. Kazakhstan
has designated its Deputy Foreign Minister as a "Special
Envoy" to the meeting. The Uzbek and Tajik governments have
promised attendance by their Foreign Ministers, but one can
never be sure of who will attend until the day of the
meetings, DDG Yagi said.

Russian unease with Japan's approach to Central Asia
-------------- --------------


4. (C) Upon hearing from A/S Boucher of Moscow's attempts
to dissuade Central Asian countries from attending a recent
U.S.- Central Asia meeting on narcotics in Dushanbe, DDG Yagi
opined that the Russians may also be trying to interfere with
Japan's upcoming talks. A Russian official told DDG Yagi
that the SCO has produced actual cooperation in the region
and called approaches by other countries to establish
separate mechanisms "unuseful." A/S Boucher encouraged Japan
to continue to pursue stronger ties with Central Asia, noting
the SCO has not produced much substantively and the
development of alternatives to Russia and China is good.
While the U.S. does not seek to cut out Russia or China, the
recent ability of Kazakhstan to renegotiate with Gazprom
demonstrates that Central Asian countries need options to
ensure their fair treatment.

Afghanistan
--------------


5. (C) DDG Yagi agreed with A/S Boucher on the importance

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of involving Afghanistan in regional integration efforts. At
next week,s conference, Tokyo will stress Afghanistan's role
in the region and highlight the importance of projects such
as the construction of the highway from Tajikistan to
Afghanistan and the building of the Afghan ring road. Japan
will also encourage the gas pipeline project from
Turkmenistan to Pakistan, even though its development is a
long shot, DDG Yagi said. A/S Boucher expressed appreciation
for Japan's support in Afghanistan and the Indian Ocean.

Uzbekistan Woes
--------------


6. (C) Responding to A/S Boucher's observation that Prime
Minister Karimov is closing off contacts and options with the
West to move closer to Moscow, DDG Yagi said that during
Deputy Prime Minister Asimov's Tokyo visit in May, Foreign
Minister Aso told him that Japan wants Uzbekistan's
government to make greater efforts toward democratization and
respect for human rights. Japan slashed its 10 million USD
development assistance program back to 2 million USD last
year, including no ODA loans. The Uzbek government suspects
that Tokyo is linking its ODA program to greater respect for
human rights. DDG Yagi said that although the Japanese
government does not want to drive the Uzbekis into the
Russian corner, it wants to send them a message.

Western cooperation key
--------------


7. (C) DDG Yagi said that Japan has limited influence in
Central Asia compared to Russia. Therefore, it is important
for the U.S., Japan and the EU to coordinate efforts. With
joint efforts we can achieve good results in Central Asia and
counter Russian influence, he stated.


8. (U) Participants:

United States
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SCA A/S Richard Boucher
Joseph Donovan, Deputy Chief of Mission
Ann Kambara, Embassy notetaker
Joel Ehrendreich, Embassy Poloff

Japan
--------------

Takeshi Yagi, Deputy Director General for Europe, MOFA
Fumio Iwai, Director, Second Middle Eastern Division, MOFA


9. (U) A/S Boucher cleared this message.

SCHIEFFER