INTERIM RESPONSE DELIVERED TO KYRGYZ-PROPOSED

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000894 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR KG SUBJECT: INTERIM RESPONSE DELIVERED TO KYRGYZ-PROPOSED CHANGES TO MANAS AIR BASE PROTOCOL REF: A. STATE 93188 ¶B. BISHKEK 816 Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge delivered Ref A response to Kyrgyz-proposed changes to the Manas Air Base Protocol to Deputy Foreign Minister Sarbayev on July 10. Charge noted that this was an interim response, and he expected to receive additional information later. ¶2. (C) Sarbayev thanked Charge for the response and read the Note carefully. He asked for clarification regarding the intention of the U.S. side to hold discussions and asked when such discussions could begin. Charge confirmed that the U.S. was willing to discuss issues related to the implementation of the existing Protocol, but the concerned U.S. agencies had not yet coordinated a timeframe for such discussions. Charge mentioned that the U.S.-Kyrgyz joint base commission was one possible mechanism for such discussions, and Sarbayev acknowledged this possibility. ¶3. (C) Sarbayev said that he would share the response with Deputy Minister of Defense Oruzbayev, the chair of the Kyrgyz government's inter-agency committee on Manas Air Base. Sarbayev again thanked Charge and said that the response was a "step forward." ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Sarbayev was visibly pleased to receive the U.S. response, and welcomed the U.S. willingness to discuss base-related issues. He was clearly eager to know our thinking on next steps to enable face-to-face discussions to begin between the two sides. LITZENBERGER