TAJIK PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR CALLS IN AMBASSADOR OVER REUTERS

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000629 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON ENRG TI SUBJECT: TAJIK PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR CALLS IN AMBASSADOR OVER REUTERS INTERVIEW AND HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ¶1. (SBU) Senior Presidential Advisor for Foreign Affairs Rahmatulloyev called in Ambassador April 24 to discuss an April 23 Reuters article, in which she said corruption is the major impediment to Western investment in Tajikistan. Rahmatulloyev said President Rahmon personally pays attention to such articles, and was embarrassed by the negative tone of the Reuters piece, especially "when the government is doing so much" to combat corruption. Rahmon was apparently also irritated by the weak characterization of Tajikistan's efforts to fight human trafficking in DRL's press report on human rights in Tajikistan. "A more positive focus would help us develop our cooperation. Such a negative focus hurts our bilateral efforts," Rahmatulloyev argued. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador responded that she stood by what she had said in the interview -- corruption and lack of a transparent, predictable environment are real problems. Many U.S businesses and partners have difficulties serious enough to require embassy intervention -- even at the Ambassadorial level. The Gerald Metals lawsuit took years to resolve; the Tajik government is still treating COMSUP like a junior partner even though COMSUP now owns 100% of its mining business; and the Nizhniy Pyanj bridge is months behind schedule due to the government's delays in supplying cement and issuing a license for the contractor. The Ambassador noted that in the hour-long interview with Reuters, she had discussed many subjects, including democratic reform, security cooperation, and regional issues, and had specifically mentioned some positive steps the government was taking against corruption, which Reuters decided not to include. Ambassador pushed back on Rahmatulloyev's suggestion that she either insist on pre-clearing articles that quote her or refuse to give any more interviews to Reuters, saying that either would be a violation of media freedom. ¶3. (SBU) Rahmatulloyev expressed particular concern about AES's lack of activity in Tajikistan, insisting that "they've promised to build a hydropower station." Ambassador said she couldn't speak authoritatively for a private company, but noted that AES was likely waiting for the results of World Bank and Asian Development Bank feasibility studies on the construction of electrical transmission lines to Afghanistan/Pakistan. Further, AES would probably want to see successful results from a smaller project before investing in a big project like a dam. She noted (yet again) that the U.S. government cannot tell private companies when and where to invest. Rahmatulloyev said Rahmon had asked him to raise debt forgiveness; Ambassador explained that it is unlikely that the Treasury and the Congress would be willing to pursue the new legislation necessary to forgive Tajikistan's 17 million USD debt when the country is taking on so much new debt from China. ¶4. (SBU) Comment: We are unsure why the Reuters article earned so much ire; it contained nothing we haven't said before, many times. Although the tone of the meeting was friendly, Rahmatulloyev made it clear that Rahmon was personally insulted. Clearly, the president is having trouble digesting the fact that Western businesses are not impressed by the creation of a new anti-corruption agency (run by an allegedly corrupt former city prosecutor) or speeches denouncing corruption. It is possible that Rahmon's irritation over the article is symptomatic of the larger problem: the fact that the one-note symphony (hydro, hydro, hydro) which forms the backdrop for nearly every Tajik government engagement with foreign officials has not produced new dams. While the Tajik population has (so far) given Rahmon a pass on his increasing authoritarianism, power shortages threaten to erode his popularity, particularly if the government commits to export up to 1000 megawatts of electricity to South Asia, while Tajiks endure another cold, dark winter. End Comment. JACOBSON