FURTHER GOAJ RESPONSE ON OSCE HDIM

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 001160 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV AJ SUBJECT: FURTHER GOAJ RESPONSE ON OSCE HDIM REF: A. STATE 126089 ¶B. BAKU 01141 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Donald Lu for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Pol/Econ Chief delivered ref A demarche on the upcoming OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) to MFA First Territorial Department Chief Rahman Mustafayev on September 17. (Per ref B, the Ambassador also delivered the demarche to Foreign Minister Mammadyarov on September 11. Mammadyarov was open to GOAJ participation at the HDIM.) Mustafayev was not aware of the meeting, nor had he received information from the Minister,s office on our demarche. Mustafayev did not know who -- if anyone -- from the MFA would attend, suggesting that the issue might fall under Deputy Foreign Minister Mammadguliyev or Deputy Foreign Minister Azimov's purview, who respectively handle democracy and multilateral organizations. He promised to share the nonpaper with both of these Deputy Ministers, and said that he understood the message that the U.S. hoped Azerbaijan would take action to address these issues in the run-up to the HDIM. ¶2. (C) Commenting more broadly on U.S. efforts to push political reform in Azerbaijan, Mustafayev observed that in his personal opinion, the MFA is unlikely to be able to effect change in Azerbaijan. While Mustafayev said that the MFA is one of the few players within the GOAJ that understands the negative impact of Azerbaijan,s poor human rights record, he also said the MFA would be unlikely to take on Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev (widely viewed as the architect of the GOAJ,s "managed" democracy policy) over this issue. ¶3. (C) Comment: At several points during the meeting, it was obvious that other MFA divisions are not sharing information with Mustafayev's division, which is responsible for the overall bilateral relationship with the U.S. For example, Mustafayev was unaware of Post's efforts to confirm a visit date to the Gabala radar station. Post has been working closely with Deputy Foreign Minister Araz Azimov's staff on this visit. While Foreign Minister Mammadyarov has told us he seeks to create an intra-Ministerial "U.S. Team" to handle all aspects of the bilateral relationship, it is clear that the idea has not yet gained traction within the Ministry. LU