UZBEKS SEEK TO PUNISH NATO'S "SPOILED CHILDREN"

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TASHKENT 001444 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/09/2017 TAGS: PREL PINR NATO UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKS SEEK TO PUNISH NATO'S "SPOILED CHILDREN" REF: A. TASHKENT 989 ¶B. 06 TASHKENT 2332 Classified By: CDA Brad Hanson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) NATO's Central Asia Liaison Officer briefed NATO mission on the results of a trip to follow up on agreements made during the visit to Tashkent of a NATO expert-level delegation in May. Shortly after that visit, the Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) informed NATO that a further development of relations was not possible due to the European Union's (EU) decision to renew sanctions against Uzbekistan. The Liaison Officer met with the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) UN Department, who used the meeting to rail against the EU decision, saying that Uzbekistan cannot have poor relations with EU but expanding cooperation with NATO at the same time because many countries are members of both organizations. The MFA official said that EU countries are like "spoiled children" who must be "punished" when they do something bad to prevent future problems. Future GOU participation in NATO events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with the MFA official strongly hinting that it would hinge on the EU making the "right" decision during its next sanctions review. Ministry of Defense officials, however, said that they wanted a proposed NATO project to destroy melange, a rocket fuel residue, to continue. Tuncer said that the NATO Science Committee would meet soon to make a decision on the project, for which funding has been identified. It is clear that the GOU is linking the EU, OSCE, NATO and other organizations with European membership in an effort to show its displeasure with the renewal of Uzbek sanctions. Still, likening EU member states to children that must be punished to prevent future bad behavior is striking and clearly shows that the GOU still believes that the West needs it more than it needs the West. End summary. -------------- Punishment for Spoiled Children -------------- ¶2. (C) NATO Central Asian Liaison Officer Tugay Tuncer briefed NATO missions August 9 on the results of his two-day visit to Tashkent. During the visit Tuncer, who is based in Astana, met with Ilkhom Zakirov, Chief of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs UN and International Organizations Department, and Colonel Rustamov, Chief of the Ministry of Defense International Relations Department. (Note: According to Tuncer, Zakirov said that a Deputy Foreign Minister had wanted to meet with Tuncer personally, but was on his way to Brazil for political consultations. End note.) Tuncer said the purpose of his trip was to follow up on agreements reached during a NATO expert-level delegation visit to Tashkent in May (ref A). Shortly after that visit, the Government of Uzbekistan (GOU) informed NATO that a further development of relations was not possible in light of the European Union's (EU) decision to renew sanctions against Uzbekistan. Since then, Tuncer said that the Uzbeks have stepped back significantly from attendance at NATO activities, although Ministry of Defense officials have continued to show up for certain low-level activities. ¶3. (C) According to Tuncer, Zakirov used the meeting to rail against the EU sanctions decision. He also ranted about a draft resolution that the GOU expects the EU will lodge in the UN Third Committee against Uzbekistan. These moves, Zakirov said, showed again a clear double standard against Uzbekistan. Zakirov said that many European countries are members of both NATO and the EU; thus, it is impossible for Uzbekistan to have a poor relationship with one organization while expanding cooperation with the other. According to Tuncer, Zakirov said "they (referring to NATO's EU members) are like spoiled kids, and if you do not punish them at the time that the act was committed then they will cause more problems in the future. We must have trust on both sides, which is the basis for cooperation and which we do not have at this time." Zakirov said that the GOU had not TASHKENT 00001444 002 OF 002 participated in recent NATO events because the political circumstances are "not appropriate," and that Uzbekistan will consider future participation on a case-by-case basis. Tuncer said that Zakirov hinted strongly that future GOU participation would hinge on the EU making the "right" decision during its next review of sanctions against Uzbekistan. ¶4. (C) Tuncer characterized his meeting at the Ministry of Defense as less difficult. Col. Rustamov said that the Ministry of Defense wants to continue to work with NATO and would do so as long as they receive invitations and so long as the political environment continues to be convenient. Rustamov said that the GOU wants a proposed project to destroy melange, a rocket fuel residue, to go forward. Tuncer also raised this project with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose response was "not altogether negative." Tuncer said that the NATO Science Committee will meet soon to make a decision on this project, but that funding was available in principle and it would be an easy project to complete. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) The German Ambassador commented following Tuncer's briefing that the GOU is clearing putting the EU, OSCE, NATO, and other organizations with European membership into one basket, "the West," and is taking great pains to demonstrate its unhappiness with the EU sanctions decision. We agree with that assessment. Zakirov's likening some EU member states to children that must be punished for wrongdoing is a striking illustration of the fact that the Uzbeks think that the West needs them more than they need the West. Tuncer said that NATO Special Representative Robert Simmons is planning another visit to Tashkent October 20-21 to discuss restarting cooperative activities at a more senior level. HANSON