RENEWED PROMISE TO BEGIN OPERATIONS ON TAJIK-AFGHAN BRIDGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001481

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2017
TAGS: EAID ELTN PGOV MASS TI
SUBJECT: RENEWED PROMISE TO BEGIN OPERATIONS ON TAJIK-AFGHAN BRIDGE

CLASSIFIED BY: Tom Hushek, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy
Dushanbe, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b)

1. (C) Summary: Since the August 26 ceremonial opening of the
U.S.-built Tajik-Afghan bridge, Tajik security authorities have
blocked opening the bridge for operations. Recent interventions
by the Embassy appear to have led to a new compromise among
Tajik government agencies which will allow a limited stream of
truck traffic across the bridge. The Embassy will continue to
follow up to ensure trucks do actually start moving across the
bridge. End summary.




2. (C) Background: At the time of the opening ceremony, Tajik
authorities promised us the bridge would be open to traffic --
up to 50 vehicles per day -- the day after the ribbon-cutting.
In fact, Tajik security officials have hindered efforts to begin
even limited operations. Instead, truck traffic across the
border from Sher Khan Bandar, Afghanistan to Nizhniy Pyanj,
Tajikistan continues via the barge just downstream from the new
bridge. The Japanese Embassy in Tajikistan has complained to
the government that the bridge closure has seriously hampered
delivery Pakistani cement intended for the Japanese construction
project rebuilding the Tajik highway feeding into the bridge.
Despite public statements from President Rahmon and other Tajik
officials on the importance of the bridge and related road
projects, the State Committee on National Security has
effectively vetoed bridge traffic.




3. (C) Recent interventions from the Embassy seem to have
escalated the level of discussion within the Tajik government on
this issue. The Ambassador spoke with First Deputy Foreign
Minister Yuldashev and the Deputy Chief of Mission followed up
with discussions with Deputy Foreign Minister Kasimov directly
challenging the wisdom of letting the bridge remain idle. Post
has communicated our intention to bring an assessment team from
the U.S. Customs and Border Protection service to review bridge
operations in mid November with an eye toward recommending
additional assistance. We have consistently stressed the need
for all Tajik government agencies -- in particular the Border
Guards, who are subordinate to the State Committee on National
Security, and Customs -- to work together and cooperate directly
with their Afghan counterparts to establish operating procedures
for the bridge. Some early momentum prior to the ribbon-cutting
dissipated soon after.




4. (C) Following our interventions last week, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs invited Deputy Chair of the State Committee on
National Security, General Gaffarov, to the Ministry to discuss
obstacles to opening the bridge. The Ministry called in Deputy
Chief of Mission October 18 to discuss the results of the
meeting with Gaffarov. While the security services continue to
be concerned about truck traffic from Afghanistan, they have
reportedly agreed to begin limited traffic across the bridge.
In particular, they will allow trucks carrying Pakistani cement
being imported for the Japanese road construction project.
These will be the first commercial vehicles allowed to cross the
bridge.




5. (C) The Embassy will continue to monitor the situation and
watch whether this traffic is initiated. Already, post's
Regional Security Officer has heard from Tajik security contacts
established at the time of the ribbon-cutting, that preparations
are under way to "open" the bridge. EmbOffs will travel to the
bridge October 20 to observe first hand.




6. (C) Comment: Fewer and fewer Tajik officials seem willing
to challenge the State Committee on National Security. Since
the Border Guards were subordinated to the State Committee in a
government reorganization last December, cooperation on some of
our key border assistance programs has diminished sharply. We
were pleased that our constant urging on this issue of
initiating bridge operations, backed by common sense and
continued public statements by President Rahmon about the
importance of the bridge, seem to have given the Foreign
Ministry enough backbone to call in General Gaffarov and obtain
this concession. It's just a start, but one that will allow the
Tajik and Afghan border guards and customs officials to work out
operating procedures.

JACOBSON