REGIONAL ENERGY COM CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 20-22 IN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 001789 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FOR CHIEFS OF MISSION FROM AMBASSADOR WILSON PARIS ALSO FOR OECD E FOR U/S JEFFREY AND GREGORY MANUEL EEB FOR A/S SULLIVAN EUR FOR DAS BRYZA SCA FOR PDAS MANN DEPT PASS TDA FOR DAN STEIN DEPT PASS DOE FOR A/S HARBERT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EPET ENRG TU SUBJECT: REGIONAL ENERGY COM CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 20-22 IN ISTANBUL REF: WILSON/COM EMAIL 7/10/07 Dear Colleagues, ¶1. (SBU) As discussed in ref email to many of you and based on the widespread interest among chiefs of mission in the area, Mission Turkey proposes to host a Regional Energy COM Conference in Istanbul on September 20-22, 2007. Its purpose will be to consider our Caspian energy strategy and how we can work most effectively together to advance US goals in this area. ¶2. (SBU) Russia's recent energy (and energetic) diplomacy reinforces the need for a well-coordinated and effective US diplomacy on behalf of energy security in Europe, the development of Caspian Basin energy resources, and diverse and competitive infrastructure to get those resources to the international marketplace. Highly productive US diplomacy on Caspian energy in the 1990s and first part of this decade primarily involved work with a limited set of producer and transit countries and companies. Success in the next stages of our Caspian energy strategy -- especially regarding gas and European energy security -- requires a much broader range of producer, transit and consumer countries, companies and other players. Coordination and collaboration with Washington and among US missions in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and various parts of Europe will be essential. September should be an opportune time to take stock, review our key requirements and perspectives, and engage with one another and key Washington players on a common regional energy agenda and plan of action. ¶3. (SBU) Agenda: EEB A/S Sullivan recently circulated to many of us a Caspian Energy Strategy paper, and it should provide a good basis and starting point for our discussions. Among specific agenda items are the following. -- Gas supplies and key, relevant political constraints in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Iraq; what is the US doing and what should we do. -- Gas demand and the politics of consumer countries; how can the US shape demand and political factors to support our Caspian Basin strategy. -- Gas transit: current and planned/possible pipelines, key political and commercial issues, transit and other framework agreements; US role, EU role. -- Regional cooperation on gas distribution and storage. -- Current oil supply and transit issues, including CPC, trans-Caspian shipping, Bosporus bypasses; US strategy. -- Russian energy acquisitions and strategy; how these relate to US and regional priorities; what should be our approach. -- Other factors: commercial issues, EU role, Iran, China, etc. Your suggestions on the agenda and organization of the discussion will be very helpful over the coming weeks as we put this event together. ¶4. (SBU) Attendees: This conference is intended for regional chiefs of mission and key Washington players. Addressee posts include Caspian producer, transit and Nabucco/TGI countries. We have also included key European capitals and Baghdad, given Iraq's potential role in support of US energy security and other goals. If posts and/or Washington agencies have suggestions of others in the field or in the US who ought to be included, please advise. We recognize that some chiefs of mission may be unable to attend. Decisions on alternates and additional invitees will depend on the overall numbers. To ensure productive discussions, we plan on no more than about 30 participants. ¶5. (SBU) Schedule: Participants should plan to arrive in Istanbul by no later than about 6:00pm. on Thursday, September 20. Our notional schedule is as follows: -- Thursday, September 20: 7:00pm Welcoming dinner hb Consul General ANKARA 00001789 002 OF 002 -- Friday, September 21: COM conference 9:00am to 5:00pm, with a working lunch at mid-day. -- Saturday, September 22: COM conference closing session approximately 9am-12 noon. Participants should be free from mid-day Saturday, September 22, for personal activities in Istanbul, any smaller group meetings that may be appropriate, etc. Congen Istanbul is blocking rooms now for Thursday night through Sunday. Accommodations will be sufficient for those who may wish to bring spouses. ¶6. (SBU) Action: Overseas posts and Washington invitees are requested to advise on attendance as soon as possible, but no later than August 24. Post will provide more detailed information on the program, schedule accommodations, etc., by early September. Embassy Ankara action officers are: through July 31, Michael Mauel, e-mail MauelME@state.gov, telephone 90-312-457-7068; after July 31, Dale Eppler, e-mail EpplerDB@state.gov, telephone 90-312-457-7058. Consulate Istanbul POC for lodging and admin support is Elaine Taylor, e-mail TaylorEB@state.gov, telephone 90-212-335-9000 ext. ¶9164. ¶7. (U) Best regards, and I look forward to seeing you in Istanbul in September. Ross Wilson Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON