SCO SUMMIT: INDIA "WATCHING AND WAITING" ON THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 003905 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS ENRG MARR CH KZ KG TX TI UZ IR, MG, IN SUBJECT: SCO SUMMIT: INDIA "WATCHING AND WAITING" ON THE SIDELINES REF: A. NEW DELHI 3692 ¶B. IIR 6 844 0795 07 NEW DELHI 00003905 001.4 OF 002 Classified By: Acting PolCouns Atul Keshap for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Director for Eurasia Sandeep Arya and Under Secretary L. Savithri told PolOff Aug. 23 that the Government SIPDIS of India (GOI) was not interested in seeking full membership in the organization, but was keen to have a more defined role for observers in the SCO. The GOI was interested in participating in SCO projects related to economic cooperation, the financial sector, energy, transportation, and infrastructure, according to Arya. India was not invited to participate in the joint military demonstration which followed the SCO, asserted Arya, and the exercises had "no bearing on our security," he added. Savithri, who attended the summit along with Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MPNG) Murli S. Deora and MEA Joint Secretary for Eurasia Jaimini Bhagwati, observed that it had garnered no concrete proposals, but gave Afghanistan the opportunity to present itself as a "bridge state." Arya reiterated that India had no plans to start a military base in Tajikistan, and said the subject had not been raised at the summit. The GOI is eager to appear uneager, keeping an eye on its neighbors -- especially China -- via the vehicle of the SCO. END SUMMARY. India Not Interested in SCO Membership... -------------- ¶2. (C) Unlike Pakistan, which stated publicly that it sought membership status in the SCO, India was not interested in obtaining membership in the organization, MEA Director for Eurasia Sandeep Arya told PolOff Aug. 23. India's involvement in the SCO was driven by its desire to "know what is happening in our neighborhood," emphasized Arya. As observers, India's participation in the SCO summit was minimal, restricted only to its statement at the plenary session, a lunch and the closing reception, said Arya. Asked if Iran had expressed an interest in becoming an SCO member, Arya replied that it had not stated so publicly, and that he was not aware of any private discussions with the Iranians on the subject of membership. ...But Waits for Observer Role to Be Spelled Out -------------- ¶3. (C) India is "waiting and watching" from the sidelines for now as it waits for the observer role to be defined and "spelled out," stated MEA Under Secretary for Eurasia, L. Savithri, who had attended the summit as part of India's delegation with MPNG Murli S. Deora and MEA Joint Secretary for Eurasia Jaimini Bhagwati. Arya indicated that India would like to be more proactive in the organization, lamenting that observers have only a ceremonial role in the SCO at present, and underlining that observers had no input in the Bishkek Declaration document. India would consider involvement in projects as observers, especially in the areas of economic cooperation, the financial sector, energy, transportation and infrastructure, suggested Arya. SCO Joint Military Exercise "Has No Bearing On Our Security" -------------- ¶4. (C) No observers had been invited to participate in the joint military demonstration which SCO forces conducted following the summit, asserted Arya, maintaining that there had been no question of Indian participation. Asked what the GOI's reaction to the military exercises was, Arya responded that they had no bearing on Indian security, and therefore the Indian government had no reaction to them. NEW DELHI 00003905 002.4 OF 002 "Big Show," But No Concrete Proposals -------------- ¶5. (C) Turning to deliverables from the Bishkek summit, Savithri indicated that the so-called "energy club" had discussed energy issues, but had made no headway in terms of concrete proposals nor modalities to effectively tap into Central Asia's energy resources. She described the summit as "a big show," and expressed frustration that the entire summit was conducted in Chinese and/or Russian, complaining that translations took a long time to be produced and were low in quality. Afghanistan Presenting Itself as a "Bridge State" -------------- ¶6. (C) Arya noted that President Karzai, in his second appearance at an SCO summit, had done his best to present Afghanistan as a "bridge state," linking Eastern and Central Asia to Pakistan and India. Arya compared Afghanistan's role in the SCO to its newfound role in SAARC, pointing out that all members and observers of the SCO have a keen interest in a stable Afghanistan, especially India. Summit speakers had been careful to avoid the word "extremism" in their speeches, but themes such as security cooperation, counterterrorism, anti-narcotics, and terrorism had figured heavily in the opening statements, Arya observed. MEA Reiterates - No Military Base in Tajikistan -------------- ¶7. (C) When PolOff raised persistent rumors in the media that the Indian government was planning to operate a military base of operations in Ayni, Tajikistan, Arya dismissed the concept, reiterating what the MEA has repeatedly maintained - that such statements had no basis in reality, and that the Indians had only been involved in runway repair work in Ayni. The subject was not raised at the summit, he said. Comment: Eager to Appear Uneager -------------- ¶8. (C) India wants to keep its foot firmly in the door of SCO without sending signals to the rest of the world (especially China) that it has more than a "friendly" interest in the goings-on of its neighbors. While content to maintain its status as "observer only" in the organization, India wants to see more progress in real regional cooperation, particularly those with an economic emphasis. New Delhi continues to see the SCO as China's Central Asia club. Therefore, it will publicly pay lip service to the group's value, while using its observership to keep a watchful eye on China. End comment. WHITE