OSCE IN DUSHANBE: BORDER MANAGEMENT AND MANDATE ISSUES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUSHANBE 001080

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/18/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID SNAR TI AF OSCE
SUBJECT: OSCE IN DUSHANBE: BORDER MANAGEMENT AND MANDATE ISSUES


CLASSIFIED BY: Tracey Ann Jacobson, Ambassador, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. ( C) Summary: OSCE Head of Center Pryakhin told Ambassador
that the Tajik government had approved only one our its four
proposed border management programs -- creation of a
comprehensive border management strategy -- and deferred the
other proposals for further study after the strategy is
completed. He is looking for U.S. support for a donor
conference, perhaps in the fall, to move the strategy forward.
Presidential Advisor for Foreign Policy Rahmatulloyev once again
raised the issue of updating the OSCE's mandate in a meeting
with Pryakhin yesterday; although the Tajik proposal is always
couched in terms of increasing the economic basket but not
decreasing the activities in the human dimension, Pryakhin
remains suspicious of Tajik motivations and will follow a "go
slow" approach. Pryakhin will be seeking U.S. support in
identifying an "energetic, experienced American" who can run an
expanded economic/environmental program. End Summary.

GREEN LIGHT FOR STRATEGY


2. (C) Pryakhin said he'd had good conversations with the
Russian Border Guard advisors in Dushanbe on the border
management project, which they had agreed, on instructions from
Moscow, to support. This Russian approval was an important
factor in President Rahmon's decision to go forward with this
project, Pryakhin believes. Pryakhin initially proposed an
OSCE-sponsored conference in the fall, with the various major
donors each presenting a vision or paper on its proposals for a
border management strategy. Ambassador suggested that such a
conference could result in a variety of competing visions, which
would not be effective in moving forward. She proposed instead
that OSCE Senior Border Management Advisor Henry Bolten should
conduct consultations with the host government and major donors
to come up with a coordinated OSCE draft to which donors and the
government could react. Pryakhin noted that this would require
"a lot of preparatory work" but agreed that it would be more
productive in terms of getting the Tajiks to sign onto a
strategy donors could support.

BUT NO GO FOR OTHER PROJECTS


3. (C) Ambassador Pryakhin detected the hand of Russia in the
decision not to accept the three other projects, noting that
"the Tajiks are weak in this area, and when they don't know what
to do, they ask Russia." He said the language in the Tajik note
verbale accepting the strategy project but not the others
reflected almost verbatim what he had heard from the Russian
border guards on some of the proposals, particular the objection
to a project on border guard training. Copies of all four
projects as well as the Tajik government's Note Verbale have
been emailed to SCA/CEN and USOSCE DCM.

LEERY OF AFGHANISTAN


4. (C) Pryakhin noted that throughout his meetings, he has
sensed a strong Tajik government reluctance to engage with the
Afghans on border security, or to have Afghan participation in
OSCE border management projects. He sees various causes for
this, including basic mistrust, Tajik-Pashtun rivalries, and
Russian concerns about letting Afghans into what it still sees
as its backyard. Both Tajik and Russian interlocutors have told
him that admitting Afghans into the country, even for training,
could be "destabilizing" as many Afghans "support an extremist
ideology." Ambassador noted that border management projects can
succeed fully only if they address both sides of the border.
Afghan participation not only makes sense from a practical
security angle, but also in terms of securing additional donor
funding for OSCE border management projects in Tajikistan.
Pryakhin promised to raise this point in his upcoming meetings
with Foreign Minister Zarifi and State Committee on National
Security Chair Abdurahimov.

MANDATE


5. (C) During a meeting with Pryakhin yesterday, Presidential
Foreign Policy Advisor Rahmatulloyev once again raised President
Rahmon's desire to "update" the OSCE Center's mandate, insisting
that the OSCE's work on economic development is a Tajik
government priority. Although Rahmatulloyev said expansion of
the economic area would not come at the expense of either of the
other two dimensions, Pryakhin remains highly suspicious, noting

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that he expects the Tajiks to "chip away" at human dimension
projects. He is therefore "not in a hurry" to move forward on
adjusting the mandate, despite a suggestion from Vienna that he
form some sort of working group to address this issue quickly.

STAFFING


6. (C) Pryakhin noted that an expanded economic project office
would require effective leadership -- an energetic, experience
person with a proven track record in both economic development
and effective project management. He prefers an American, but
notes that the current U.S. citizen Economic Advisor "is not up
to the task." (NOTE: We had heard this previously from the
OSCE Deputy Head and don't disagree. END NOTE.) Pryakhin plans
to forward a vacancy announcement soon and has asked for U.S.
assistance in identifying an appropriate candidate.


7. (C) Comment: Ambassador Pryakhin will be in Vienna August
1 and is looking for a meeting with Ambassador Finley to discuss
these issues. Despite his short tenure here, we find him to be
credible, sharp, and committed to cooperation on all three OSCE
areas, despite host country preferences to focus on economics
first, security second, and the human dimension less and less.
End Comment.
JACOBSON