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