TURKMENISTAN: OSCE CONSIDERING GREATER

UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000269 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, INL, EUR/RPM DUSHANBE FOR DEA MOSCOW FOR DEA ISLAMABAD FOR DEA ANKARA FOR DEA AID/W FOR EE/EA (BOB WALLIN) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL EAID SNAR SMIG OSCE TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: OSCE CONSIDERING GREATER INVOLVEMENT IN BORDER PROJECTS ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: A delegation from OSCE's Conflict Prevention Center headed by Senior Board Advisor Henry Bolton told the Embassy on February 13 that, as a result of the Russian Federation's concern over the volume of opiate imports from Afghanistan, the OSCE is looking into border security projects and may seek to divert financial resources from southeastern Europe to Central Asia. The OSCE is also considering bringing someone on full-time locally to work these issues, with a new focus on regional programs directed toward training Afghan customs and counternarcotics officials. Bolton said that the OSCE seeks U.S. partnership on projects, such as training Afghan drug enforcement officers, and in general, is eager to coordinate programs to avoid redundancy. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) An OSCE delegation led by Henry Bolton, OSCE Senior Board Advisor, told the Embassy on February 13 that the Russian Federation's concern over the volume of opiate imports from Afghanistan and the imports' contribution to instability and extremism in the region has compelled the OSCE to consider a larger role in border security projects. Currently, the OSCE undertakes border security projects on an ad-hoc basis. Finland's upcoming chairmanship of the OSCE has led to a new focus on this situation as well, since 90% of the heroin on Finland's streets comes from Afghanistan. OSCE is redeploying resources and may seek to fund these projects by diverting some finances from southeastern Europe to Central Asia. Bolton said a delegation comprised of high-level OSCE officials will also meet with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, State Customs Service, State Border Service, and the President's Commission on Law Enforcement when they visit at some as-yet undetermined time to promote some movement. ¶4. (SBU) The Conflict Prevention Center is considering bringing someone on full-time to work on counternarcotics, with a regional program focus. Bolton mentioned the possibility of training Afghan customs and counternarcotics officials and asked specifically for U.S. cooperation on an OSCE training program for Afghan drug enforcement agency officers. However, he added, he also wants to coordinate OSCE programs in this area with on-going U.S. aid so that programs are complementary. Other potential programs include training for Afghan customs officials, and a NATO-proposed program in facilitating cross-border communication. The OSCE's expectations of Turkmen involvement in these programs was not clear. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: With some OSCE participating states complaining that the OSCE's three dimensions are out of balance, the Finnish Chairmanship is probably looking for ways of enriching the security and economic dimensions. In this case, the Chairmanship may have hit a winner that all can agree upon and benefit from: narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan is a growing concern in Turkmenistan, throughout the region, and in Europe, and there is a genuine need for the regional approach that Bolton is proposing. While there continues to be more work in this area than current donors can deal with, we are glad to see that the OSCE is treading carefully to avoid duplication of current efforts. END COMMENT. HOAGLAND