Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TASHKENT1079
2007-06-06 11:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:  

FM HARSHLY CRITICIZES PRESIDENT'S REMARKS ON

Tags:  PREL PHUM PGOV UZ 
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VZCZCXRO7198
PP RUEHDBU
DE RUEHNT #1079/01 1571150
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 061150Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7978
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9223
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3089
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 3696
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 3559
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7096
RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0114
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0874
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001079 

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DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV UZ
SUBJECT: FM HARSHLY CRITICIZES PRESIDENT'S REMARKS ON
UZBEKISTAN'S HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION, SAYS U.S. NOT READY
FOR CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP

Classified By: CDA BRAD HANSON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001079

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SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV UZ
SUBJECT: FM HARSHLY CRITICIZES PRESIDENT'S REMARKS ON
UZBEKISTAN'S HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION, SAYS U.S. NOT READY
FOR CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP

Classified By: CDA BRAD HANSON, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) Summary: On June 6, Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov
registered the Government's deep displeasure with President
Bush's criticism of Uzbekistan's human rights practices in
his June 5 speech at the Prague Conference on Democracy and
Security. Norov said that these comments demonstrate that
despite the Government of Uzbekistan's best efforts, the
United States is not ready to engage in a constructive
relationship with Uzbekistan. Norov said that U.S. officials
single out Uzbekistan for criticism, downplaying or ignoring
any progress in human rights. In contrast, he said, the USG
praises other countries' progress, even if it is
questionable. Charge said that President Bush's comments on
Uzbekistan in Prague are accurate, and that human rights
issues are a legitimate topic of discussion. Norov's
reaction demonstrates yet again that the Uzbek regime cares
deeply about its international image and carefully studies
comments made about Uzbekistan in the region and elsewhere.
End comment.


2. (C) On June 6, Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov used a
meeting to discuss the case of Embassy FSN Dmitriy Bityutskiy
(septel) to register the Government of Uzbekistan's grave
displeasure with President Bush's reference to Uzbekistan in
his June 5 speech on human rights at the Prague Conference on
Democracy and Security. Norov referred specifically to the
President's statement: "The Government of Uzbekistan
continues to silence independent voices by jailing human
rights activists." Uzbekistan has tried to improve its
relationship with the United States, Norov asserted, and has
never worked against U.S. interests. President Bush's
comments, however, demonstrate again that despite these
efforts the United States is not ready for a constructive
relationship with Uzbekistan.


3. (C) Norov said that President Bush's remark is but the
latest example of a U.S. tendency to criticize perceived
wrongs while minimizing or ignoring any progress that
Uzbekistan has made in protecting human rights. Furthermore,
the President disregarded the fact that activists were jailed
not for their human rights activity but for specific
violations of the law, thus drawing a broad and inaccurate
generalization about Uzbekistan's human rights practices. In
contrast, Norov said, U.S. officials are quick to praise even
dubious achievements of other Central Asian governments, as
evidenced by statements from Ambassador Ordway and A/S
Boucher on Kazakhstan's constitutional amendments or PDAS
Mann's comments on positive developments in Turkmenistan.
This was evidence, Norov said, of U.S. "double standards."
The Foreign Minister also referred disparagingly to some
recent alleged comments by Prime Minister Tony Blair to the
effect that Uzbekistan needed "educated" imams in its mosques.


4. (C) Charge responded that President Bush's criticism of
the human rights situation in Uzbekistan is accurate.
American diplomats throughout the world discuss human rights
with their host governments whenever possible. The
President's speech and our efforts to discuss human rights
issues with governments around the world demonstrate the USG
belief that human rights issues are a legitimate topic of
discussion. The United States is also not immune to
criticism, as we recognize that human rights violations occur
in all countries. Charge added that we saw the upcoming
visit of U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious
Freedom Hanford to Uzbekistan as an excellent opportunity to
discuss freedom of religion, to start a dialogue in this
important area of human rights. The Foreign Minister
acknowledged Amb. Hanford's visit and said nothing to suggest
the Uzbek Government was getting cold feet on this visit.


5. (C) Comment: Norov's comments are entirely consistent with
the Uzbek modus operandi of blaming the United States for any
and all problems in the bilateral relationship. They also
reinforce that the Uzbek regime cares deeply about what U.S.
officials say, or do not say, about it publicly. It is
ironic that Norov's critique of U.S. human rights rhetoric
came at the end of a long discussion in which Norov
vehemently denied that a National Security Service
investigator had severely beaten one of the Embassy's FSN
employees during a criminal interrogation, even as
photographs of our bruised employee lay before his eyes.

TASHKENT 00001079 002 OF 002



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