HIGH-LEVEL GOU ATTENDANCE AT BORDER SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 002162

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, INL (A. BUHLER),EXBS (J. HARTSHORN)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2017
TAGS: PGOV PBTS PREL SNAR PTER AF UZ
SUBJECT: HIGH-LEVEL GOU ATTENDANCE AT BORDER SECURITY
PROJECT CEREMONY IN TERMEZ, UZBEKISTAN

Classified By: Poloffs Steven Prohaska and Timothy Buckley for reasons
1.4 (b, d).


1. (U) Summary: On December 18, representatives of the United
Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC),Government of
Uzbekistan (GOU),American and British Embassies, and the
Asian Development Bank took part in a border project
dedication ceremony at Hayraton checkpoint on the
Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border. High-level GOU officials,
including the Chairman of the State Committee for Border
Protection and Deputy Chairman of the State Customs
Committee, participated in the ceremony. Both of these
officials and a representative of UNODC expressed interest in
further collaboration to counter threats to border security.
Hayraton appears to be a relatively advanced and
well-maintained checkpoint. End summary.


2. (U) Representatives of the United Nations Office of Drugs
and Crime (UNODC),GOU, American and British Embassies, and
the Asian Development Bank took part in a border project
dedication ceremony at Hayraton checkpoint on the
Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border on December 18. Key donors
included the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and
Finland. (Note: The United States funded roughly $575,000 of
the $1,810,875 the project received. End note.)
Representatives from the GOU included Chairman of the State
Committee for Border Protection Ibragimov, Deputy Chairman of
the State Customs Committee Mansurov, and Chief of
Surkhandarya Customs Shavkat Muhammadiev, a higher level of
representation than the UN initially expected.


3. (U) Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee
Mansurov remarked in his speech that Hayraton is located on
the main road connecting Central Asia to Afghanistan, and
said that effective functioning of the checkpoint was
important to security and trade. He lamented the 34 percent
increase in opium production in Afghanistan relative to last
year and the effect drug production has had on the countries
of Central Asia. Counternarcotics is a priority for Customs,
he continued. Mansurov said that Customs had collaborated
with other law enforcement agencies to interdict twelve
shipments of drugs in 2007 and that Hayraton checkpoint was
especially important to countersmuggling efforts. He
expressed hope that the international community would
continue to provide counternarcotics and counterproliferation
assistance. Mansurov thanked in particular the United
Kingdom, the United States, and UNODC for their valuable
help, and hoped that there would be further collaboration in
the future.


4. (U) Major-General Ibragimov, Chairman of the State
Committee for Border Protection, then said in his speech that
border protection was one of Uzbekistan's main goals. The
Border Guards work jointly with Customs, he said, to counter
terrorism and narcotics. Thanks to help from donors,
Uzbekistan has received modern equipment, Ibragimov
continued. Terrorism, drugs, and contraband are real
threats, he said. Ibragimov again expressed his gratitude
for the international assistance that was helping to make
Central Asia safer.


5. (U) UNODC Regional Director Jim Callahan gave a speech in
which he outlined three primary objectives of the Hayraton
project: improving the infrastructure of the checkpoint;
promoting cooperation and coordination among the agencies of
the GOU; and promoting cross-border cooperation between
Central Asia and Afghanistan through the installation of a
fiber-optic cable line between them. Callahan said he hoped
there would be further cooperation between Uzbekistan and
Afghanistan in the future. More pressure on the borders
between Central Asia and Afghanistan threatens both the
transit destination countries, he warned. (Note: No Afghans
were invited to the event. End note.) Callahan said that
drug trafficking funds extremist groups, the drug trade

itself destabilizes governments in the region, and the
problem of HIV/AIDS is linked to drug use. All of these
concerns, he said, underscore the importance of continuing
joint work to strengthen Uzbekistan's capabilities. UNODC
looks forward to working with the authorities and donors on
further projects, he said. Callahan then thanked the donor
countries and the individual Customs and Border Guard
officers responsible for protecting the border.


6. (SBU) GOU officials then provided a tour of the
checkpoint. Several small offices are situated in the center
of the checkpoint's ten lanes, and SUVs, forklifts, and a
crane were located at one side. INL LES noted that vehicle
search mirrors previously donated with USG assistance were
being used to conduct inspections. At the section reserved
for secondary inspections of suspicious cargo, GOU officials
inspected crates of oranges shipped in from Pakistan.
(Comment: The ability to ship such goods by ground through
Afghanistan represents a major change in the past few years,
resulting in greater consumer choice and lower prices on
citrus during the winter months in Uzbekistan's bazaars. End
comment.) Local authorities showed the visitors a backup
generator, a room with communications equipment linked to
Tashkent, and another room with television monitors connected
to the checkpoint's network of 57 cameras. Not all of the
equipment Poloffs observed was fully functional. There are
some problems with the scales and data retrieval (see septel).


7. (C) Comment: The GOU's surprisingly high-level
representation at this project closure ceremony--both
Ibragimov and Mansurov flew in from Tashkent to participate
in the ceremony--probably reflects the importance Tashkent
attaches to border security cooperation, and could bode well
for future cooperation in this sphere. Hayraton struck
Poloffs as being overall an advanced and well-maintained
checkpoint with modern equipment. Some observers consider
the Hayraton checkpoint the best-equipped and maintained land
POE in Uzbekistan, if not Central Asia.
NORLAND