Turkmenistan and Afghanistan Twice Talk on the Border, with

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ASHGABAT 000459 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (PERRY); INL (BUHLER) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM SNAR PINR KIPR PREL AF TX SUBJECT: Turkmenistan and Afghanistan Twice Talk on the Border, with a Little Help from their Friends Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Embassy staff met with border and counternarcotics officials from Turkmenistan and Afghanistan during a first ever multilateral meeting with U.S. Embassy Kabul representatives at the Aquina border crossing checkpoint in Afghanistan on April 9. The following week, embassy staff participated in a cross-border integrated border management workshop on Turkmenistan's side of the border with representatives from both governments. Both discussions shared similar objectives for encouraging cross-border communication, information sharing and training. The Afghanistanis were both enthusiastic and optimistic about the benefits of increased cooperation, as were the working-level Turkmenistan participants. However, while senior-level government of Turkmenistan officials proved to be friendly in side conversations, they provided little more than high-level window dressing during the meetings. End Summary. The Road to Afghanistan -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Embassy staff, and Turkmenistan's Deputy Minister of National Security, Agajan Pashiyev, traveled to the U.S. Central Command-funded border crossing checkpoint project at Imam Nazar on April 9. The Government of Turkmenistan cleared all formal border zone checkpoints for the embassy delegation and twice hosted the delegation to meals en route to and from the border with Afghanistan. (Comment: Embassy vehicles passed unimpeded through checkpoints that have historically delayed the journey by up to 30 minutes. End Comment.) During breakfast, Pashiyev was cordial and responsive to questions regarding basic border information. Pashiyev said that he had worked at the Serhetabad checkpoint, the second of two checkpoints shared with Afghanistan, and he confirmed what post had heard anecdotally about reduced vehicular traffic and contraband seizures during the last couple of years. Pashiyev credited the professionalism of officials working in Serhetabad with the success. (Note: The U.K. Embassy completed construction of an enhanced checkpoint at Serhetabad in late 2004, which included additional equipment purchased by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with USG funds. End Note.) A Small Gathering in Afghanistan -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Turkmenistan's Consul General in Mazar-e Sharif met embassy staff and Pashiyev at the border for an expeditious crossing to Afghanistan. Joining the delegation from Turkmenistan were Afghanistan-based Border Management Task Force (BMTF) officials, Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan (CSTC-A) and INL Military and Civilian Police Mentors, German Police Project Office (GPPO),and local Afghanistani and Aquina checkpoint officials. Local political representatives opened the standing-room-only meeting (approximately 25 people) with laudatory remarks for their neighbor, Turkmenistan: Turkmenistan provides low-cost energy to northern Afghanistan and hosted Afghan refugees during the Taliban regime. The officials also noted a positive current border relationship and said that the Aquina checkpoint was the only border point that remained open with Turkmenistan during 25 years of war. The need for development of an independent Afghanistan, the official said, hinged on continued assistance from the international community, and included a request for infrastructure, equipment and training. The Government of Turkmenistan neither offered introductory remarks nor presented information on border management in Turkmenistan, although both officials from Turkmenistan took copious notes. Pashiyev's only participation was when he asked the Afghanistan-based U.S. border management official to provide more detailed information about plans to launch ground sensors and mobile units along Afghanistan's borders. International Assistance Afghanistan's Borders -------------- - ASHGABAT 00000459 002 OF 004 ¶4. (SBU) During the ensuing brief but comprehensive working meeting, the U.S. and German border management officials working in Afghanistan shared the overall border enhancement program for Afghanistan. They described a new border police strategy based on mobile interdiction units. Stressing the reality of a gradual timeline, the ultimate goal was to string the border with ground sensors and have the mobile units respond to sensor stimuli. The border with Turkmenistan was considered relatively secure, and Aquina is number 8 out of 14 national border crossing points in terms of customs revenue. Supplementing the requisite infrastructure and equipment, the BMTF in Afghanistan is presenting a new Border Police Advance Training Plan that will complement the new mobile interdiction strategy. The bottom line, there will be more officers that are better trained on the borders over the course of the next 1 1/2 to 2 years. Cross-border Opportunities -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The BMTF/GPPO officers clearly communicated steps forward in cross-border dialogue and cooperation with Turkmenistan. In regard to cooperative work, the successful Tajikistan-Afghanistan cross-border liaison officer exchange program was introduced as a way to improve information sharing. In addition, Embassy Ashgabat's proposed project to improve communication between Imam Nazar and the capital Ashgabat with the possibility of extending the network across the border to the Aquina station was well-received by the delegates. Both were considered potential first steps toward enhanced cross-border security. Cross-Border Training at Imam Nazar -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Following on the heels of the meeting in Aquina, the UNODC in Ashgabat hosted an embassy-initiated integrated border management workshop at Imam Nazar for officers from both Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, April 16-18. Deputy Ministers for Customs and Internal Affairs represented Turkmenistan during the conference opening and Deputy Chief of Mission in Ashgabat Muhammed Osman Seriara represented Afghanistan. Turkmenistan's Deputy Minister for Customs, Amanmamed Muhamedkuliev, made some cursory remarks regarding Turkmenistan's geographical location next to Afghanistan and noted an existing positive relationship; he did not provide any specific examples. Muhamedkuliev thanked the U.S. Government several times in his brief speech for the new building under construction at the checkpoint. First Deputy Minister for Internal Affairs Batyrmuhammed Aymyradov declined to speak. In contrast, Seriara spoke highly of Afghanistan's neighbor, thanked Turkmenistan for the inexpensive supply of electricity and welcomed the opportunity for expanded cross-border training and cooperation. All three senior officials left at the close of the opening remarks. ¶7. (SBU) Afghanistan's Deputy Chief of the Counternarcotics Police, Colonel Amanullah Wahidi, and Chief of the Afghanistan Border Police in Aquina, Captain Pir Mohammed Alkoziy, along with Turkmenistan's regional, district and checkpoint officers representing the State Border Service, State Customs Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of National Security attended the three-day working-level workshop. Highlighting the course was Colonel Wahidi's unscheduled remarks on the first day outlining the need for cooperation. Despite the spartan conditions and mid-afternoon time slot, Wahidi commanded the undivided attention of every Turkmenistan official present when he read out statistical information and spoke frankly about the narcotics situation in Afghanistan. Wahidi's presentation even elicited unsolicited questions from Turkmenistan's participants. Turkmenistan: Improve Internal Checkpoint Functions -------------- -------------- ¶8. (SBU) The high-water mark for the conference came during the final discussion session when the UNODC representative in Ashgabat put the participants from Turkmenistan on the spot to identify areas ASHGABAT 00000459 003 OF 004 for future cooperation with Afghanistan and internal areas of improvement at Turkmenistan's border crossing checkpoints. Most notable for future project development was the working officials' view that internal reorganization at the checkpoints was needed. For example, participants could not identify the lead agency at the border crossing checkpoints, although by consensus they agreed it must be the State Border Service because of the security element. Turkmenistan's officials recognized key areas for improvement that centered on too many agencies with redundant agendas (e.g. there are three health-related agencies). There were calls for an interagency coordination committee in Ashgabat and an expressed need for a universal database that all agencies could use at each checkpoint. Cross-border Viewpoints: -------------- ¶9. (SBU) In regard to how to improve cross-border security relations between the countries, there were complementary concerns and divergent views. Afghanistan's representatives asked for more cross-border workshops with their Turkmenistan counterparts and for the opportunity to have increased working-level discussions. Turkmenistan's participants were eager to exchange more counternarcotics information and looked for additional international assistance to build modern border crossing checkpoints and learn modern investigative methodologies on contraband interdiction. Comment -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Regional: The two cross-border meetings were successful first steps. The ultimate goal is for the international players to work themselves out of their facilitator roles, but that is a long way off. The Afghanistanis were consistently eager participants who welcomed any dialogue on security, shared internal security information and encouraged future expanded cooperation. The senior Turkmenistani officials who participated at both events were much less engaging. There was an interest in gathering information from the Afghanistanis, but not an overt willingness to interact with their counterparts. Deputy Minister Pashiyev even asked the delegation to leave the Aquina Checkpoint just after one hour and before eating the large lunch that had been prepared for the special meeting. The delegation's premature departure would have been insulting in both cultures. At this point, the Government of Turkmenistan appears to be willing to actively gather information from Afghanistan, but only to passively engage in establishing a bilateral cross-border working relationship that includes information sharing. ¶11. (SBU) Turkmenistan-centric: The conference solidified what embassy officers have long suspected and confirmed during the two border crossing checkpoint projects: there are too many stove-piped ministries working on Turkmenistan's borders. Relevant information is compartmentalized by each ministry with a deleterious impact on border management. Steps forward for U.S. engagement must include a commitment on the part of the Government of Turkmenistan to remedy the border management problem and share relevant border information. The embassy has long argued that the projects are not just about infrastructure, but about facilitating a comprehensive approach to improved border management. There needs to be a demonstrated senior-level commitment from Turkmenistan that the government is willing to cooperate openly. Options available to the government include: --Sharing specific narcotics seizure data, not just year-end numbers, but successive events throughout the year (that mostly occur in border areas); -- Declarative information on the function of each agency involved in counternarcotics efforts, and who has the ultimate authority at the border; -- Internal review of border crossing checkpoint organization and ASHGABAT 00000459 004.2 OF 004 function with a commitment toward reform. ¶12. (SBU) The Imam Nazar station is scheduled to open on August 13. Embassy Ashgabat is tentatively planning to host representatives of the Nevada Congressional Delegation, Department of State and CENTCOM representatives, as well as high-level delegations from the Governments of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Embassy will continue to emphasize the need to develop cross-border cooperation and to seek additional resources to develop relevant programs. End Comment. BRUSH