TURKMENISTAN: REGIONAL UNODC MEETING PARTICIPANTS AGREE ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 001041

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SENSITIVE

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STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL
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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: REGIONAL UNODC MEETING PARTICIPANTS AGREE ON
NEED FOR CLOSER COOPERATION


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.


2. (SBU) SUMMARY: During a September 17-19 regional
counternarcotics meeting sponsored by the United Nations Office on
Drug Control (UNODC) in Turkmenbashy, Turkmenistan, representatives
of Paris Pact countries and international organizations discussed
initiatives for increasing cooperation in combating narcotics
trafficking and -- for the first time ever -- drug demand reduction.
After three days of occasionally heated discussion, participants
agreed on a range of measures to improve cooperation, including
giving the UNODC's Ashgabat Coordination Analysis Unit a new
intelligence coordination role. Although participants concurred on
the need to use a spectrum of strategies to reduce drug demand,
there was less agreement on what those strategies should be, with
particularly sharp differences over the advisability of (needle
exchange) "harm" reduction and methadone treatment programs. This
meeting, hosted for the first time by Turkmenistan, was designed to
showcase Turkmenistan's new regional cooperation policy. While gaps
-- most notably an unwillingness to provide statistics -- remain in
Turkmenistan's outwardly focused counternarcotics policy, it
nonetheless represents a major policy step forward for Turkmenistan.
END SUMMARY.


3. (U) The United Nations Office on Drug Control (UNODC) held a
meeting of regional Paris Pact players focused on combating
narcotics trafficking in Central Asian, Caspian and Caucasus
countries in Turkmenbashy, Turkmenistan, on September 17-19. Many
international and regional organizations participated, including the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS),Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO),
European Commission (EC),Interpol, Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),Pompidou Group, United Nations
Development Program (UNDP),World Bank (WB) and World Health
Organization (WHO). U.S. State Department International Narcotics
and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau (INL) Coordinator for European
and Eurasian Programs Elizabeth Carroll and INL Program Analyst
Javier Cordova led the U.S. delegation.


4. (SBU) Azerbaijan had originally offered to host the meeting, but
UNODC turned down the offer due to Azeri refusal to allow Armenian
participation. The Government of Turkmenistan then stepped up to
the plate, for the first time ever, and sponsored the meeting,
covering hotel and meal expenses for all delegations and chartering
a plane between Turkmenbashy and the Ashgabat.


5. (U) At the opening session, UNODC announced that it was
introducing a more user-friendly version of the Automated Donor
Assistance Mechanism (ADAM),an internet-based tool that
automatically and securely provides partners with technical
assistance information for counter-narcotics enforcement personnel.
Afterwards, participants divided into working groups on law
enforcement cooperation and on demand reduction.

LAW ENFORCEMENT: AGREEMENT TO PROMOTE REGIONAL APPROACH


6. (SBU) In the law enforcement working group, most of the
delegates offered up seizure statistics and reported on their
countries' efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. A three-man
delegation representing Iran was occasionally combative, but
generally congenial. Georgia and Russia played the blame game on
drug transiting, with each side claiming the other side was
responsible for an increased flow of narcotics in their respective
countries.


7. (U) Delegates also discussed a UNODC proposal to create a
Caspian Sea Initiative, a mechanism for sharing information on
narcotics trafficking through a Coordination Analysis Unit in
UNODC's Ashgabat office. UNODC proposed that the Ashgabat
Coordination Analysis Unit should work closely with analysts in

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Tehran, Tashkent, Moscow, Kabul, and Islamabad on data collection
and analysis, as well as with the new Ashgabat-based UN Regional
Center for Preventive Diplomacy to promote stronger regional
counter-narcotics coordination.


8. (U) Delegates agreed to strengthen data sharing and analytical
capacity in the region, harmonize legislation, increase joint
operations and law enforcement training, and improve inter-agency
cooperation. They also discussed the importance of a comprehensive
approach to border issues, and the need to include seaports,
airports, and land border crossings in counternarcotics strategies.
They agreed to further discuss ways of strengthening interdiction
efforts along Afghanistan's borders at the next Paris Pact
roundtable in Kabul on October 31-November 1.

DRUG DEMAND REDUCTION: DISAGREEMENTS OVER SOLUTIONS


9. (U) Stefano Berterame, Chief of UNODC's Prevention, Treatment,
and Rehabilitation Unit, chaired the working group on drug demand
reduction, which focused on opiates abuse in the region, situation
analysis and identification of gaps in demand reduction, and
priority targets and actions to strengthen key demand activities and
measures at the national level.


10. (SBU) Although there was general agreement on the need for a
variety of approaches -- data collection, prevention and drug
treatment and rehabilitation programs -- in drug demand reduction,
there were substantial differences between some participants on drug
demand/"harm" reduction programs. In particular, the United States
and World Health Organization disagreed sharply over the
advisability of promoting needle exchange programs to minimize
needle-transmitted disease. INL Program Analyst Javier Cordova
introduced the framework of the U.S. national drug control strategy
and emphasized the fundamental principles of evidence-based drug
prevention, intervention and treatment. He presented the most
current scientific basis for assessing illicit drug use as a
preventable behavior and drug addiction as a treatable chronic
disease. He also stressed that U.S. policy does not allow
government funds to be used to support needle or syringe exchange
programs.


11. (U) Participants agreed that drug prevention is an important
element of demand reduction. In this area, most countries reported
that they are implementing a variety of prevention programs -- media
campaigns, life skills education and intervention programs -- with
young people, especially in school settings and in communities.
Participants discussed the role of NGOs and civil society
organizations in demand reduction activities and agreed that the
drug abuse problem in the region is a complex phenomenon that
requires the mobilization of government agencies as well as other
society stakeholders.


12. (U) Several national delegations stated that their countries
have been able to improve the quality and variety of treatment
services in recent years by introducing a wide range of treatment
programs, including detoxification, relapse prevention, psychosocial
interventions, medical assisted therapy for opiate addiction, and
outreach and vocational training. In addition, they discussed the
need for the prevention and treatment of drug abuse as well as the
prevention of HIV/AIDS and other illnesses in prison.


13. (SBU) However, another fracture appeared in discussing the use
of methadone in treating addiction. Although most agreed that
methadone was effective in lowering most types of addiction, Russia
strongly opposed use of methadone, reporting that its legislation
prohibits use of medical-assisted therapy (i.e., methadone,
buprenorphine, or naltrexone). Turkmenistan's delegation showed a
new openness to methadone as a treatment, while Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan also asked many questions about methadone usage.

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14. (SBU) Turkmenistan's Ministry of Health officials claimed that
there are currently no HIV/AIDS-infected persons in Turkmenistan,
but also said the Ministry is building an AIDS center. As usual,
the officials declined to share statistics on drug use. Embassy's
econoff emphasized that the government's reluctance to share
statistics hinders efforts to coordinate work and urged the
authorities to make this information available. Other participants
agreed that more reliable data on the drug use situation (i.e.,
information on the prevalence, patterns and consequences of drug use
and abuse),is critical for setting up drug abuse information
systems. They concurred on the need to improve the quality and
methodology for data collection and to include data on drug abuse
among young people and the general population. Moreover, changes in
drug abuse information systems need to be accompanied by revision of
the national legislation that facilitates the collection of
information, including the possibility for people to be open about
their drug abuse problem without fear of stigma and discrimination.


15. (U) COMMENT: This is the first time that Paris Pact
participants in this region have discussed demand reduction. Most
agreed this meeting was a valuable tool for assessing the current
drug situation in Central Asia. Delegates also shared program
development and scientific information about drug prevention,
intervention and treatment, including the prevention and treatment
for HIV/AIDS. Due to early pressure to concede to needle exchange
benefits, this Paris Pact meeting was an excellent opportunity for
the U.S. delegation to explain U.S. government policy with
international counterparts. Participants from the Central Asian
region especially posed many somewhat basic questions about drug
treatment -- but this only underscores the necessity of such
meetings.


16. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED. This meeting reflected Turkmenistan's
icreased willingness to reach out to and work cooperatively with
other countries, especially on a regional level, to attack narcotics
trafficking. This cooperative attitude is new -- only a few months
ago, Turkmenistan was reluctant both to acknowledge the extent of
its narcotics problem and to develop contacts with other countries
in the region to address this problem. Since then, it has joined
CARIC and seems to be serious about doing what is necessary to
address narcotics issues. While gaps -- most notably in
Turkmenistan's willingness to provide statistics -- remain in
Turkmenistan's outwardly focused counternarcotics policy, it
nonetheless represents a major policy step forward for Turkmenistan.
END COMMENT.

HOAGLAND