DAS FEIGENBAUM MEETS WITH TAJIK FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISOR ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DUSHANBE 000586 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/17/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL TI SUBJECT: DAS FEIGENBAUM MEETS WITH TAJIK FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADVISOR ON BILATERAL AND REGIONAL COOPERATION CLASSIFIED BY: TJACOBSON, AMBASSADOR, STATE, STATE. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Hot off his trip to the United Arab Emirates with President Rahmon, Presidential Foreign Affairs Advisor Erkin Rahmatulloev met with SCA Deputy Assistant Secretary Evan Feigenbaum April 14. First Deputy Foreign SIPDIS Minister Yatimov also sat in on the meeting. Rahmatulloev pressed for a stronger economic relationship between the United States and Tajikistan. Deputy Assistant Secretary Feigenbaum raised key elements of success in the bilateral relationship, then also explained the challenges and barriers that remain, including a poor investment climate, a bad operating environment for non-governmental organizations, and poor coordination among the security ministries on border security and drug control. The two also discussed regional issues, including Tajikistan's concern over the protests in the Kyrgyz Republic. END SUMMARY. INCREASED COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ¶2. (SBU) Rahmatulloev commented that president Rahmon had a good trip to Dubai where the two sides discussed bilateral cooperation and signed an agreement on increased assistance regarding trafficking in persons. The United Arab Emirates is the top receiving country for trafficked Tajik women and girls for sexual exploitation. Rahmon's last trip to the Emirates was 12 years ago and this trip had more concrete results. The president's delegation included a large group of Tajik businessmen who met with Emirati businessmen at the chambers of commerce in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The Tajik delegation was pleased by the large number of Emirati businessmen interested in meeting with them. Rahmatulloev commented that the United Arab Emirates does not understand Central Asia very well and following up on the president's initiative last year, the Tajik government is looking to expand its relationship and develop contacts in the Middle East. President Rahmon has already visited Egypt and Syria and plans to visit other Middle Eastern countries in the future. TAJIKS: ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH UNITED STATES IS TOP PRIORITY ¶3. (C) Rahmatulloev was also quick to point out that the European Union is a priority for Tajikistan as well as the United States, but said that the biggest problem with the United States and the European Union is that both are "too late." Rahmatulloev repeated the common refrain that the United States has not implemented real, concrete projects in Tajikistan in the field of energy. The Tajiks have been touting hydropower for two to three years now, but the only thing they have to show for it is the memorandum of understanding with U.S. firm AES. The Tajiks want to see more progress in its economic relationship with the United States. That is the Tajik government's priority in the bilateral relationship. ¶4. (SBU) Deputy Assistant Secretary Feigenbaum explained that in the United States, the government does not control the private sector, but we could help the Tajik government improve conditions to attract business investment into hydro energy. He explained that the private sector, not government investment is critical for a country's economy. Feigenbaum used Kazakhstan as an example where stronger macroeconomic policies have paved the way not only for U.S. private investment in oil and gas, but also for investors in other areas and small and medium sized enterprises as well. Kazakhstan has attracted U.S. companies because it improved certain elements of its business climate and its investment climate. The role of governments is to send signals to the private sector by setting the right conditions for companies to operate. The countries most likely to attract investment are those that reduce the legal and regulatory burden and corruption. ¶5. (SBU) Rahmatulloev explained that the president is putting strong emphasis on economic issues and the government is open to cooperation in fighting corruption and eliminating barriers to development. Tajikistan has signed a new law reducing the number of inspections on businesses. The new Committee on Investments is cooperating with U.S. implementing partner Pragma in a working group under the Ministry of Justice to reduce the bureaucratic steps for registering and setting up a business. DUSHANBE 00000586 002 OF 003 CHALLENGES IMPEDING THE U.S.-TAJIK RELATIONSHIP ¶6. (C) The United States has a strong relationship with Tajikistan and it is improving all the time. He noted those elements. However, Feigenbaum explained, the relationship needs to move forward in all dimensions including on the economic, security and political fronts. But each dimension also has obstacles that must be removed. On the economic front, the Tajiks need to work on creating a good legal and regulatory environment. Regarding security, U.S. and Tajik efforts on border security and drug control have been complicated since the government restructuring placed the Border Guards under the State Committee on National Security's authority. The Ministry of Interior, the Drug Control Agency and the State Committee on National Security need to cooperate with each other and with the United States. Politically, the biggest challenge is the poor operating environment for non-governmental organizations. The Tajik authorities' suspicion of non-governmental organizations, including National Democratic Institute and Internews, and the resulting operational impediments mean that U.S. implementing partners who are well-known and transparent organizations cannot carry out good programs in civil society development, local governance, pluralism, media and even humanitarian assistance. ¶7. (C) Addressing the non-governmental organization issue, Rahmatulloev acknowledged that the over 3,000 non-governmental organizations registered within Tajikistan are not without problems. Some people are suspicious of the organizations due to the organizations' activities throughout the region. Rahmatulloev said that when problems arise in neighboring countries, other countries in the region also feel the impact. Neighboring countries have accused non-governmental organizations of interfering in state affairs. Rahmatulloev said the Tajik government is eager to find a resolution to the problems with non-governmental organizations and wants to get to the root of the problem. He accepted that Tajikistan has cultural and human rights problems the country need to address. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be visiting next week. ¶8. (C) Rahmatulloev defended Tajikistan's progress in social issues and said that foreign countries should be patient. Foreign countries are "romantics" when it comes to demanding faster social progress. Tajikistan will move forward on its own path at its own rate taking into account the people's traditions, mentality and specific cultural nuances of the region. He cited the conservative population as one reason why Tajikistan cannot move too fast. When the president declared a moratorium on the death penalty, over 90% of the population was against it, but Rahmon knew it was the right thing to do and was steadfast on it. The same goes for his recent decision to delete the Russian "ov" from his last name and go back to the name's roots. Many Tajiks relish the old Soviet system, but Rahmatulloev is hopeful the new younger generation, who has studied abroad, will have a different outlook towards life and change the country for the better. REGIONAL COOPERATION, NOT JUST A SLOGAN ¶9. (C) Tajikistan does not exist in a vacuum and has to consider its neighbors' influence. For Tajikistan, "regional cooperation is not just a slogan," Rahmatulloev repeatedly said. Rahmatulloev expressed regret that the road to Kazakhstan bypasses Uzbekistan. He asked Deputy Assistant Secretary Feigenbaum who had recently visited Tashkent if the Uzbeks showed signs that they were ready to improve the Tajik-Uzbek relationship and noted that Tajikistan has a better relationship even with Turkmenistan than Uzbekistan. Feigenbaum discussed in broad terms his recent trip to Tashkent. ¶10. (C) Rahmatulloev was not optimistic with the latest developments in the Kyrgyz Republic. When watching the protestors gather to demonstrate with their yurts, it reminded him and other Tajiks of the beginnings of the Tajik civil war in 1992 when protestors staged similar events in Dushanbe. Rahmatulloev sees many similarities in the Kyrgyz Republic now that existed in Tajikistan before the civil war, including the north-south divide and the surfacing of weapons in some areas. "No good can come of this," he says. In Tajik-Kyrgyz relations, President Rahmon often advises Kyrgyz President Bakiyev on "what not to do" in order to avoid a civil war. DUSHANBE 00000586 003 OF 003 ¶11. (C) Rahmatulloev reiterated that Tajikistan remains a strong partner in the war on terror in Afghanistan. Tajikistan has cooperated with the United States on the bridge between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and will cooperate on transmission lines despite the fact that Tajikistan's others allies and neighbors may not be in favor of the South-Central Asia transmission lines. ¶12. (C) COMMENT: Overall, the Tajik government understands why the United States pushes for an improved investment climate, an open environment for non-governmental organizations, and democratic principles such as rule of law; but as Rahmatulloev pointed out, it's not easy to change everything immediately. Tajikistan is not completely free and cannot ignore the pressures from its neighbors, namely Uzbekistan, which has control over Tajikistan's electricity supply, and old ally Russia. By diversifying its "partners" portfolio and reaching out more to the European Union and Middle East, Tajikistan may be trying to garner more business investment and assistance so that it does not have to rely on Russia and other Central Asian neighbors. END COMMENT. ¶13. (U) DAS Feigenbaum has cleared on this message JACOBSON