Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT472
2008-04-15 11:24:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:  

EC TROIKA IN TURKMENISTAN: THE HEADLINE WAS

Tags:  PREL PHUM EAID EPET KG KZ TI TX UZ EU 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7803
PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHAH #0472/01 1061124
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 151124Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0602
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 0297
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3631
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1449
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR PRIORITY 0102
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1316
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 1885
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000472 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/ERA, EEB, DRL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID EPET KG KZ TI TX UZ EU
SUBJECT: EC TROIKA IN TURKMENISTAN: THE HEADLINE WAS
ENERGY

REF: ASHGABAT 0328

Classified By: CDA Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4(B),(D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000472

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, EUR/ERA, EEB, DRL
USAID/W FOR EE/AA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2018
TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID EPET KG KZ TI TX UZ EU
SUBJECT: EC TROIKA IN TURKMENISTAN: THE HEADLINE WAS
ENERGY

REF: ASHGABAT 0328

Classified By: CDA Richard E. Hoagland: 1.4(B),(D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The April 9-10 EU Troika-Central Asia
Ministerial added to Turkmenistan's international and
regional credentials. The media headline from the event was
Turkmenistan guarantees at least 10 bcm/y natural gas for
Europe/Nabucco, although it took a while for media
commentators to realize the question was still open of how to
get the gas from Turkmenistan's borders to Europe.
Turkmenistan was unable to sign the EU bilateral energy
memorandum of understanding because it requested numerous
word changes late in the game. The general impression of the
bilateral and plenary sessions was Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
support regional approaches to regional problems, Uzbekistan
was prickly and not in the mood for regionalism, Turkmenistan
was guarded but tried to be helpful, and Kazakhstan left a
bit of self-impression of first among equals. The value of
the Troika ministerial was a clear signal that the EC is
increasingly engaged in Central Asia. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) The European Council held its annual Troika meeting
with foreign ministers from all five Central Asian countries
April 9-10 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. On April 9, each of
the four members of the "Troika" -- EU Special Representative
for Central Asia Pierre Morel, representing European Council
Secretary General Javier Solana; European Commissioner for

SIPDIS
External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita
Ferraro-Waldner; Slovenian Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel,
representing the current EU Presidency; and French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner, representing the next EU
Presidency -- met separately in a series of meetings with
Turkmenistan's President Berdimuhamedov and the foreign
ministers of each of the Central Asian countries. There was

a plenary session April 10 in which each of the Central Asian
delegations delivered a speech on a prepared topic.


3. (C) Ferrerro-Waldner on April 10 officially opened Europa
House in Ashgabat that is the precursor to a full EU
representation by 2010 (reftel). Europa House Coordinator
Emilio Valli said that the idea to hold the Troika in a
Central Asian capital grew out of the EU's strategy for
Central Asia. The European Union wants to sign Partnership
and Cooperation Agreements with all Central Asian countries,
including Turkmenistan. Once signed, the EU can begin to
focus on trade. However, none of the countries is especially
close to achieving the human rights and other benchmarks
necessary for signing these agreements. As a result, the EC
has developed a new Development Cooperation Initiative (DCI),
which will replace the EU's TACIS program, to provide
broadbased cooperation directed toward spurring reform. The
Troika meeting is one of the vehicles through which the EU
coordinates that cooperation.

ENERGY A PRIORITY ISSUE


4. (C) According to Valli, energy was a priority issue for
the Troika's discussions with Turkmenistan. President
Berdimuhamedov guaranteed 10 bcm/y of natural gas for
Europe/Nabucco, and eventually more when new sources are
exploited, but made clear Europe would be responsible for
transporting it from Turkmenistan's border.


5. (C) The European Union and Turkmenistan have been
preparing an energy memorandum of understanding (MOU) which
was to have been signed at the meeting that was more
hortatory than obligatory. According to Valli,
Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister for Oil and Gas

ASHGABAT 00000472 002 OF 003


Tachberdi Tagiyev had visited Brussels on February 23 to
finalize the MOU's wording. The EC believed the MOU was on
track for signature until the beginning of April, when
Turkmenistan submitted new, non-substantive changes that,
nevertheless, will need to be approved by each EU member.

TURKMENISTAN HUMAN RIGHTS


6. (C) The media reported, without going into details, that
the Troika representatives also discussed human rights, and
expanding cooperation in the educational, science, and
counter-narcotics sectors. Valli reported DCI is preparing
to sign, on April 15, an agreement for a new multi-year
program with Turkmenistan's Institute for Democracy and Human
Rights that will focus on drafting/revamping laws on human
rights institutions and judicial and criminal laws.

BERDIMUHAMEDOV TO VISIT TO PARIS


7. (U) During his primarily bilateral meeting with
Berdimuhamedov, Kouchner delivered an invitation from
President Sarkozy to visit Paris in the second half of 2008,
once France becomes EU President. Berdimuhamedov accepted.


8. (C) Normally French Ambassador Christian Lechervy would
brief after such an event, first his EU colleagues, then the
others separately, but he departed Ashgabat with FM Kouchner
for Paris and is not expected to return until late in the
week of April 14. In lieu of a detailed briefing, Embassy
Ashgabat obtained a hard copy of the Council of Europe
informal brief for members dated April 14. Below, we
summarize the over-all conclusions and the bilateral sessions.


9. (C) OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

-- First Troika meeting with all Central Asian foreign
ministers present; atmosphere was good; priority and concept
papers generally welcomed.

-- Confirmed the importance of differentiation among
countries and the need for bilateral approaches.

-- Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan agreed to enter into Human
Rights Dialogs with the EU; Uzbekistan agreed to a Human
Rights Dialog in May or June.

-- Willingness to cooperate with the EU on energy, but
countries ask for clear projects from the EU for the
transport of natural gas.


10. (C) KAZAKHSTAN

-- Gave details on the Way to Europe program's five
dimensions: technology transfer, institutional norms, energy
dialog, human dimension, and trade.

-- Criticized the EU's formulation of country priorities and
distribution of assistance funds among the five Central Asian
countries.

-- Foreign Minister Tazhin briefed on preparations for OSCE
Chairmanship, including reform of law on political parties,
election law, defamation/penal code, and media.


11. (C) KYRGYZSTAN BILATERAL

-- Kyrgyzstan is looking for opportunities to restore
national production capacities (industrial and technological
park, agriculture, engineering, information, light industry,

ASHGABAT 00000472 003 OF 003


and food processing); proposed an EU-Kyrgyzstan plan until
2013 for this purpose.

-- Agreed to initial Human Rights Dialog starting in June
2008 at expert level, and suggested a regional dialog.

-- Water Academy Project will be pursued with or without the
EU; water summit planned for the end of 2008.


12. (C) TAJIKISTAN BILATERAL

-- Presidential Economic Adviser Davlatov named as national
coordinator for EU-Central Asian strategy.

-- Unlike some other countries, Tajikistan emphasizes
regional cooperation, especially on water, energy, border
security, narcotics control, and demining. Foreign Minister
Zarifi offered Tajik facilities for training Afghans.

-- No objection to Human Rights Dialog.

-- Requested EU conduct feasibility studies for seven
hydroelectric projects; Ferrero-Waldner confirmed the EU's
readiness.

-- Made pitch to adapt, but not limit, its OSCE mandate.

-- Requested to host next EU Troika-Central Asia meeting in
Dushanbe.


13. (C) TURKMENISTAN

-- Ready to continue human rights dialog, especially with
practical cooperation projects.

-- Willing to sell natural gas to Europe, even though it will
not violate existing contracts to non-EU partners; sells its
gas at its borders for world prices; ready for PSAs in the
Caspian and service contracts onshore.

-- Ferrero-Waldner asked Turkmenistan to consider
participation in a high-level meeting on energy for the
development of the Trans-Caspian Corridor and to appoint
sherpas to prepare this meeting (NFI).


14. (C) UZBEKISTAN BILATERAL

-- Denounced EU "double standards" and insisted on respect
for each country's individuality since "there is no leading
country in the region."

-- Generally hesitated on regional initiatives and insisted
on bilateral approaches for education and rule-of-law
intiatives and water and energy issues.

-- Rupel, Morel, and Ferrero-Waldner sent a strong message on
human rights, naming individual cases; requested registration
of the new Human Rights Watch representative.

-- Uzbekistan confirmed ICRC access to prisons; pointed out
EU weaknesses on human rights, including "islamophobia."

-- Would consider an energy MOU.

-- Will not participate in either the regional Water Academy
or the regional water summit in Bishkek.
HOAGLAND