Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BISHKEK925
2007-07-17 13:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Bishkek
Cable title:  

KYRGYZ REBUFF IRAN OVER SCO SUMMIT

Tags:  PGOV PREL IR KG 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4737
OO RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHEK #0925 1981309
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 171309Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9952
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING IMMEDIATE 2230
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI IMMEDIATE 0117
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE 0666
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE IMMEDIATE 2635
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 2014
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO BRUSSELS BE IMMEDIATE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS IMMEDIATE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP IMMEDIATE
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000925 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, NEA/IR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ REBUFF IRAN OVER SCO SUMMIT

REF: BISHKEK 908

Classified By: Charge Lee Litzenberger; Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000925

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, NEA/IR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL IR KG
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ REBUFF IRAN OVER SCO SUMMIT

REF: BISHKEK 908

Classified By: Charge Lee Litzenberger; Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Deputy FM Sarbayev requested an urgent meeting with
Charge July 17, to provide a readout of his just completed
trip to Tehran in advance of the August 16 SCO summit in
Bishkek, which Iranian President Ahmadinejad will attend as
an SCO observer. He opened by saying he wanted to "set the
record straight" and "reassure Washington" in light of recent
Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reports alleging that
Sarbayev had said that Kyrgyzstan supports Iranian membership
in SCO, and that U.S. "meddling" in the region had only
increased the threat of terrorism and drug trafficking.
Sarbayev said the IRNA reports were "pure fantasy" and he had
just called in the Iranian Ambassador to complain about them,
and to ask the Iranian to report Sarbayev's displeasure to
Tehran over the "baseless and irresponsible" way that IRNA
reported his remarks. He said he told the Iranian Ambassador
that he went to Tehran to discuss issues, but the way IRNA
fabricated Sarbayev's words raised the question of whether
such visits are of value. He told Charge, "Tell Washington
that Kyrgyzstan's position has not changed." With a smile he
added, "We remain part of the international effort in
Afghanistan; we are part of the "western meddling" that IRNA
referred to."


2. (C) Sarbayev recalled that the primary purpose of his
trip was to convey to the Iranians that the Kyrgyz did not
want Ahmadinejad to use the Bishkek summit as a platform to
make outrageous statements. Sarbayev indicated he couched
the message more diplomatically, and told FM Mottaki that
Bishkek hoped the SCO summit would be "constructive," and
that there was no place for grandstanding. Mottaki did not
respond. Sarbayev said he was surprised when Mottaki asked
him to confirm that Bishkek would support Iran's membership
in SCO at the summit. Sarbayev said he replied calmly that,
no, such a decision would require consultation with all SCO
members. Sarbayev told Charge that Iranian membership has
not come up in recent preparatory meetings of ministers.
Furthermore, he said SCO has "no precedent and no mechanism"
to add members. The SCO was set up when Uzbekistan joined
the Shanghai Five; i.e. a new organization was created
because of the addition. He reiterated to the Charge that no
membership decisions will be taken at the Bishkek summit.


3. (C) Sarbayev said the Iranians pressed for a response to
their earlier request for President Ahmadinejad to make an
official visit to Kyrgyzstan following the SCO summit;
Sarbayev informed FM Mottaki that this would not be possible,
due to the complexity of events surrounding the summit.
Mottaki then asked if he (Mottaki) could make a pre-summit
visit on July 25; Sarbayev also rebuffed this request. Even
on bilateral trade and economic issues, Sarbayev expressed
some frustration. He said that the Iranians for years have
been talking about making large investments in Kyrgyzstan,
but every time the Kyrgyz talk to the Iranians, they get a
different story. Sarbayev said he asked the Iranians to
please clearly lay out the specific conditions under which
they propose to invest.


4. (C) Sarbayev commented that IAEA experts were in Tehran
during his visit. He said he hoped that this would mean good
news would be forthcoming, then hesitated and added, "but I
doubt it." He said that there were long lines at gas
stations, and cars were limited to 3 liters of gasoline per
day. This was generating widespread complaints, as Tehran is
a sprawling city, and 3 liters per car was insufficient for
most families.
LITZENBERGER