Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BERLIN169
2007-01-26 12:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Berlin
Cable title:  

EU'S POLICY TOWARDS CENTRAL ASIA: DAS

Tags:  PREL PHUM GM 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9540
PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHRL #0169/01 0261244
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 261244Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6806
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT PRIORITY 0109
RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA PRIORITY
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK PRIORITY 0057
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE PRIORITY
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT PRIORITY 0163
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 9213
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 8556
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000169 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM GM
SUBJECT: EU'S POLICY TOWARDS CENTRAL ASIA: DAS
BARKS-RUGGLES' VISIT TO BERLIN

REF: A. BERLIN 00165


B. BERLIN 00168

BERLIN 00000169 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POL M/C John Bauman for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000169

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/26/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM GM
SUBJECT: EU'S POLICY TOWARDS CENTRAL ASIA: DAS
BARKS-RUGGLES' VISIT TO BERLIN

REF: A. BERLIN 00165


B. BERLIN 00168

BERLIN 00000169 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: POL M/C John Bauman for reasons 1.4(b) and (d)

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SUMMARY
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1. (C) Deputy Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human
Rights, and Labor Erica Barks-Ruggles met on January 17-19
with democracy and human rights officials in the German MFA
and Chancellery. Among other topics, Barks-Ruggles and
German interlocutors discussed the Germans' plans to lead
the development of a coherent EU strategy on Central Asia
during its presidency. The Germans are in agreement with the
USG on most key policy points, and said that the EU strategy
for Central Asia will be more fully developed at a meeting of
EU Troika foreign ministers with Central Asian foreign
ministers in Astana on March 28. German officials confirmed
that the EU will also make a decision about sanctions against
Uzbekistan in March - possibly just before the Astana
meeting. End summary.

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EU STRATEGY ON CENTRAL ASIA: LOOKING REALISTICALLY AHEAD
-------------- --------------


2. (C) In a meeting with Hans-Dieter Lucas, MFA Director
General for Russia, Caucasus and Central Asia, Lucas
expressed cautious optimism on promoting a human rights
agenda in Central Asia, opining that focusing on rule of law
was a more effective strategy in the region than heavily
promoting democratization. Lucas said the debate on the EU's
efforts to formulate a common strategy toward Central Asia is
timely, stressing that Germany's goal is to increase
presence, money, and attention directed toward the region.
Germany, he said, is the only EU country with diplomatic
missions in all five central Asian countries. Barks-Ruggles
stressed the need for attention to democracy and human rights
issues as central to good governance and the rule of law, and
hoped these would be prominent in the EU's strategy.


3. (C) Norman Walter, the Chancellery's Office Director for
Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Central Asia and
Transcauses, complemented these comments, saying that the
"three pillars" for Central Asia are stability, regional

cooperation, and human rights. Walter said that the process
for developing an EU strategy on Central Asia is "going in
the right direction" and that a final draft of the strategy
document should be ready after the planned meeting in Astana
in March. According to Walter, the target date for launching
a formal EU strategy is the end of the German presidency.
Both Walter and Lucas agreed that human rights, in addition
to energy and foreign investment, will be of central
importance to the EU's strategy in this region.

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TURKMENISTAN
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4. (C) Both Norman Walter and Hans-Dieter Lucas discussed
prospects for Turkmenistan following the death of President
Saparmurad Niyazov in late December. Both shared the view
that democracy will not come overnight, but said there is
room for some positive developments in Turkmenistan. Lucas
noted that the Turkmen government has allowed the
Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) to send a
mission from its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODHIR). He also said that while there have been some
cracks in leadership there, one should not expect major
changes from Niyazov-style leadership in the short-term.
Walter predicted bigger changes in the longer term, but
questioned what sort they might be, saying that Turkmenistan
is "really a black box for the Germans, and a big question
mark." Both noted the need for improvement in human rights
and increased civic and citizen participation in governance
) and said Germany would look closely at these issues.

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UZBEKISTAN
--------------


5. (C) The Germans to whom DAS Barks-Ruggles spoke were

BERLIN 00000169 002.2 OF 002


clearly thinking about the upcoming March review of EU
sanctions against Uzbekistan. Barks-Ruggles noted that
Uzbekistan's promise to engage in a Human Rights Dialogue,
while positive, is in itself insufficient to merit lifting
sanctions. She urged the Europeans to look at what concrete
actions had been taken by the Uzbeks in making a decision on
sanctions. Easing sanctions before any action will send the
wrong message both to Uzbekistan and others in the region.
The Germans confirmed there has been no firm date set for the
proposed EU-Uzbek human rights dialogue, and noted it was
unlikely to take place before the March decision point.


6. (C) Hans-Dieter Lucas said that following Steinmeier's
visit to Uzbekistan in early November, there were signs that
the Uzbeks are ready to improve relations with the EU and may
be willing to make progress on the Andijon case. However, he
also said that the Uzbeks are unlikely to undertake a full or
independent investigation of the Andijon case and that a
planned round of talks between the EU and Uzbekistan on this
"may be the closest to a full investigation we get." He also
stated that there has been improved access for the ICRC into
Uzbek prisons.

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KAZAKHSTAN AND THE OSCE
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7. (C) In discussions about Kazakhstan's bid to chair the
OSCE, the Germans saw both possibilities and drawbacks. The
Germans agreed that certain benchmarks for progress must be
set down. Hans-Dieter Lucas noted that it would be difficult
to support Kazakhstan's bid if there is no improvement on the
human rights front, and worried that this issue risks causing
a split in the OSCE if the Central Asian members do not have
a chance to lead the organization. Norman Walter touched
this same point more softly, saying that "this organization
might fall apart", as there was "destructive energy" from
Russia toward this end. Walter also said there is currently
no concerted line from the EU on Kazakhstan, and worried that
pushing fractious issues such as Kazakhstan's bid at this
point in time would exacerbate other, unrelated EU divisions,
namely those concerning the EU Constitution. Barks-Ruggles
said that having a Central Asian OSCE chair purely for the
sake of symbolism is ineffective, and that like any chair, a
Central Asian chair should be committed to OSCE values.

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KYRGYZSTAN
--------------


8. (C) On Kyrgyzstan, Barks-Ruggles and German interlocutors
agreed that the issue there is one of stabilizing and
assisting positive development of institutions. Hans-Dieter
Lucas said that democracy is relatively dynamic there in
comparison to the rest of the region, although he noted some
concerns about ongoing corruption, clans, and organized
crime. Norman Walter said that President Askar Akayev has
requested meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel but
has thus far been denied a state visit. According to Walter,
the MFA gave him the impression that a state visit might be
possible given recent progress on the Kyrgyz Constitution,
but Walter himself was more skeptical about this 'progress'.
Walter said that a state
visit during the German presidency of the EU was "out of the
question".

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LOOKING AHEAD
--------------


9. (U) The Germans' focus for Central Asia is now on the
March 28 meeting of foreign ministers in Astana. Germany, as
EU president, will host the meeting. The meeting is expected
to last one-half to three-quarters of a day, and although it
will not be a formal drafting session for the EU's strategy
on Central Asia, it is intended to be the final step of
developing this strategy before the end of the German
presidency.
TIMKEN JR