BOUCHER AND BAKIYEV REASSURE EACH OTHER ON MANAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 BISHKEK 001053

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (GORKOWSKI) AND SCA/FO

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/17/2018
TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV PINR KG
SUBJECT: BOUCHER AND BAKIYEV REASSURE EACH OTHER ON MANAS
AIR BASE

BISHKEK 00001053 001.2 OF 004


Classified By: Amb. Tatiana Gfoeller, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. In an hour long meeting with Assistant
Secretary for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher, Kyrgyz
President Bakiyev stated his commitment to working with the
United States and others to fight terrorism and narcotics in
Afghanistan and reaffirmed his country's multi-vector foreign
policy based on good relations with all countries -- the
U.S., Russia, Europe, China, and its neighbors. He described
atmospherics at the October 10 summit of the five Central
Asian presidents as good, with an understanding that
Kyrgyzstan would provide water next summer in return for
Uzbek gas and Kazakh coal this winter. He denied any
pressure from Russia following the conflict in Georgia, and
claimed that Russia does not dictate decisions of the
Commonwealth of Independent States. Bakiyev relayed
longstanding concerns regarding the U.S. failure to share its
investigation results for the 2006 base incident involving
the death of a Kyrgyz citizen, lack of U.S. compensation in a
traffic accident case, and over U.S. democracy assistance. He
said he hoped the weapons seizure incident would be resolved
soon, and welcomed Boucher's suggestion that the Ambassador
work with the Kyrgyz to seek resolution of the unresolved
issues. End Summary.

Manas Airbase Important for Afghan Stability
--------------

2. (C) President Bakiyev opened his October 17 meeting with
Assistant Secretary Boucher by noting that he had had a good
conversation with Secretary Rice on September 28. Boucher
replied that the Secretary was not able to visit, but wanted
to continue the conversation and asked him to come. Bakiyev
thanked the U.S. for the assistance it provides Kyrgyzstan,
which hosts the Manas coalition airbase. He asked for
Boucher's assessment of the situation in Afghanistan,
particularly concerning narcotics trafficking. Boucher
thanked Bakiyev for being a good partner in fighting
terrorism, and reiterated the importance of the base in the
international effort to stabilize Afghanistan. He said that
the U.S.'s primary interest was to support Kyrgyz
independence and the welfare of its people. The U.S. had no
interest in competing with any other country.


3. (C) Assistant Secretary Boucher then briefed President
Bakiyev on current efforts to support local government around
Afghanistan while fighting the insurgency consolidating
itself in the south and east. On counternarcotics, Boucher
urged Bakiyev to work more closely with neighbors like
Tajikistan and with the regional information sharing
structure, CARICC, that was based in Almaty.

Bakiyev: Unresolved Bilateral Issues
--------------

4. (C) Bakiyev raised a number of issues that he said need
to be resolved. First, was the December 2006 shooting
incident. He was concerned that second anniversary of the
incident, in which a Kyrgyz truck driver was shot and killed
by a U.S. airman, was approaching, and Kyrgyzstan still has
no answers to its questions about the U.S. investigation.
Public opinion in Kyrgyzstan is that U.S. servicemen can do
anything with impunity. This was compounded by another
longstanding unresolved issue -- the traffic accident in
which a Kyrgyz citizen, Yasynov, was injured but has not
received compensation. If the U.S. supports Kyrgyz
sovereignty, it should share the investigation information.
Bakiyev said he had raised this during the visit of Senator
Harry Reid in August, who promised he would take action.

U.S. Has Issues, Too
--------------

5. (C) Boucher agreed that there were a number of issues
that need to be resolved. He said that prior to his
departure, he had checked on the shooting investigation. His

BISHKEK 00001053 002.2 OF 004


understanding was that the report was being finalized, and
once ready, Bakiyev would get the report. He noted that the
widow had been paid compensation regardless of the report's
findings. Boucher noted that the U.S. side had some
unresolved issues on its list, too. He said he would like
Ambassador Gfoeller to sit down with the President's team and
work to resolve as many of these issues as we can. Boucher
pledged the Ambassador would have Washington's support to get
resolution. He added that the base personnel make every
effort to be good guests in Kyrgyzstan, and the base was
among the first to respond to the recent earthquake with
emergency supplies. The base was also prepared to make
infrastructure improvements to the airport, including
construction of a new parking ramp.

Central Asian Summit: Water and Energy
--------------

6. (C) Assistant Secretary Boucher noted that our
cooperation also included the Millenium Challenge Account
Threshold Program to reform the judiciary and police, and
assistance to help address the energy, water and food
security issues facing Kyrgyzstan this winter. Noting that
Bakiyev's state of the union address that morning had focused
on economic issues, he asked how the discussion of water and
energy issues at last week's meeting of Central Asian leaders
had proceeded. Bakiyev noted the historic importance of
gathering all five presidents, and said they had agreed that
they must cooperate more effectively. Bakiyev was pleased
that Uzbekistan agreed to provide gas and Kazakhstan to
provide coal so that power would not be cut off in Kyrgyzstan
this winter; in return Bakiyev had assured his neighbors he
would provide water next summer.


7. (C) In response to Boucher's question, Bakiyev said the
atmospherics at the meeting were good; initially there were
some arguments, but in the end the five reached
understanding, and he hoped this spirit of cooperation would
continue. Bakiyev said he understood that Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan need water, and that they are concerned that
construction of new Kyrgyz hydro-power plants would reduce
water flow downstream. Bakiyev said he told Karimov and
Nazarbayev that construction of these plants would be done in
phases, and he assured them it would not affect their water
supply.

Regional Energy Market
--------------

8. Boucher noted the long-term potential for Kyrgyzstan to
be a net energy exporter of electricity to southern
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and south to Afghanistan, Pakistan and
India. The key was to create a regional energy market, and
the conditions to attract investment. Bakiyev agreed, and
said his priority over the next 7-10 years was to focus on
developing hydro power. Boucher encouraged this and noted
the importance of developing coal, as well.

Financial Crisis
--------------

9. (C) Bakiyev also asked Boucher about the financial
crisis, noting that Kyrgyzstan was not yet much affected, as
the Kyrgyz economy does not depend on financial markets and
there are no large mortgage loans. But Bakiyev said he was
concerned the crisis would reduce foreign investment.
Boucher described the steps being taken to address the
crisis.

Russia, after Georgia
--------------

10. (C) In response to a question, Bakiyev said that Russia
is and will remain a strategic partner, for economic,
cultural, historic and other reasons. Russia is the largest
investor and trading partner, and hundreds of thousands of
Kyrgyz workers are living in Russia. Bakiyev said the

BISHKEK 00001053 003.2 OF 004


conflict in Georgia concerned everyone, and both Georgia's
attack and Russia's military response should be unthinkable.
Kyrgyzstan hopes the U.S. and Russia will maintain stable
relations; no one would benefit from conflict. He said many
in Russia understand this well, and do not seek confrontation
with the U.S.


11. (C) Relations within the Commonwealth of Independent
States were not, Bakiyev said, as they were during the Soviet
Union. There was no "big brother, little brother" dynamic.
He denied that Russia had put any pressure on Kyrgyzstan over
Georgia. Russia and the other Commonwealth countries
understand that decisions must be taken mutually. "We are
Asians," he said, "and while Nazarbayev and Karimov are my
elders, and I treat them with deference, when it comes to
relations between our countries, we are all equal."

Warning Shot
--------------

12. (C) Bakiyev welcomed Ambassador Gfoeller's arrival, but
told Boucher he hoped she would remember that her task is on
building good relations. Her predecessor, Bakiyev claimed,
had traveled and meddled in affairs in southern Kyrgyzstan
and criticized him. "I can't agree to this," he said.
Boucher said the U.S. always sends our best Ambassadors to
Kyrgyzstan, and he is sure Ambassador Gfoeller will be
successful, but to be successful she will need to travel
around the country and get to know the Kyrgyz people.

Weapons Seizure
--------------

13. (C) Having broached what was clearly a sensitive issue
to him, Bakiyev next offered that one issue that was probably
on the U.S. list of unresolved matters was the August 4
seizure of U.S. weapons from a special forces training team.
Bakiyev said this needed to be settled and he hoped very soon
it would be. "We don't need these kinds of issues -- this
should be resolved soon."


14. (C) Bakiyev next raised his longstanding concern that
the U.S. has not fulfilled its 2006 pledge to provide $150
million in assistance. "You want to count support to NGO's
and political parties as assistance; we wanted to see other
kinds of assistance." Boucher noted that we may have
differing accounting procedures when tallying assistance, but
our goal is that our presence should be a positive factor for
Kyrgyzstan.

Multi-Vector Foreign Policy
--------------

15. (C) In closing, Bakiyev reiterated Kyrgyzstan's pursuit
of a multi-vector foreign policy based on good relations with
the Europe, the U.S., China, the CIS, and Russia.
Kyrgyzstan, an open, transparent country, he said, is
committed to having strong, balanced relations with all
countries. Boucher replied that this is exactly how the U.S.
sees it.

Participants
--------------

16. (C) In addition to Assistant Secretary Boucher and SCA
Senior Advisor Hayden, Ambassador Gfoeller and DCM
Litzenberger (notetaker) participated in the meeting with the
President. In addition to meeting with President Bakiyev,
Boucher had lunch with heads of University English
Departments, and held a press conference.

Comment
--------------

16. (C) Bakiyev appeared well, although he entered the room
with a barely perceptible limp in his right leg. The meeting
went well over an hour, much longer than the usual 45 minutes
most Presidential meetings are allotted. Bakiyev was

BISHKEK 00001053 004.2 OF 004


engaged, and warmed up as the discussion developed. He
appeared pleased to have raised the list of concerns the
Kyrgyz side harbors, and that the U.S. side listened and
responded. He welcomed Boucher's suggestion to have the
Ambassador attempt to work through these issues, and
expressed the desire to move the relationship forward. On
the way out, the Foreign Ministry notetaker noted to DCM with
delight that "all the issues had been aired," which he viewed
as very positive. We believe the Secretary's prompt personal
intervention, followed quickly by Boucher's visit have had
the needed positive impact and have consolidated relations
for now.


17. (U) Assistant Secretary Boucher has cleared this cable.



GFOELLER