OSCE BRIEFS BISHKEK AMBASSADORS; PROMISES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001116 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR SCA/CEN (GORKOWSKI) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM KG OSCE SUBJECT: OSCE BRIEFS BISHKEK AMBASSADORS; PROMISES COOPERATION ON POLICE REFORM BISHKEK 00001116 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Andrew Tesoriere, chief of the Bishkek OSCE Center, convened an October 15 meeting of OSCE member state Ambassadors to outline OSCE goals and programs, which he claimed arose from Kyrgyz requests. Key among these activities is OSCE's ongoing police reform program, where cooperation with planned MCC activities will be needed to avoid overlap. OSCE leadership and other attendees, including the Russian Ambassador, expressed a shared desire to cooperate, not compete. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Bishkek Center chief Andrew Tesoriere hosted OSCE member state Ambassadors for an October 15 review of OSCE activities. Noting that OSCE activities stemmed from Kyrgyz requests, not "out of some factory in Vienna," he identified the following priorities and projects: -enhancing border management and security by halting illegal activity and facilitating legal flows of goods and people; -fostering rule of law through the OSCE's police reform program; -promoting good governance, fighting corruption, and encouraging transparency, predictability, and accountability, especially within the business community; -providing "expert opinions" on draft legislation; -addressing environmental cleanup and protection issues such as leftover uranium tailings and radioactive waste, disaster preparedness, and water and soil conservation; -economic development with a focus on internal and external labor migration and support of business associations; -human and social programs including human rights, rule of law, combating trafficking in persons, prison reform, electoral reform, gender equality, legal aid, medical assistance, and prevention of domestic violence; and -regional cooperation and conflict prevention, with a focus on southern Kyrgyzstan's enclaves. ¶3. (SBU) Tesoriere reflected on border control issues discussed at the October 9-10 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Summit, and envisioned closer OSCE-CIS cooperation on counterterrorism and counter-trafficking issues. He also committed to working on a local elections action plan with the Chairman of the Kyrgyz Central Election Commission along the lines of Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights recommendations. He also outlined a series of upcoming political-military initiatives: a meeting on border crossings issues; a joint OSCE-Kyrgyz counter-terrorism seminar; and an OSCE mission to Bishkek to review ammunition storage sites. COORDINATING POLICE REFORM -------------- ¶4. (U) Tesoriere highlighted the OSCE police reform program, which prepares the Kyrgyz Republic militia for comprehensive reform based on Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) guidance. The program is built on two pillars: community policing and general police reform, including Public Prevention Centers. Russia provides the MVD training in forensics and criminal investigations and hosts Kyrgyz students at its police academies. Future efforts will focus on combating organized crime. ¶5. (SBU) Ambassador Gfoeller responded that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program's goals in judicial and police reform resemble OSCE efforts and cautioned against duplication. Tesoriere added that he informed the Kyrgyz Supreme Court and Judicial Council of the OSCE's desire for cooperation and pledged to "share all that BISHKEK 00001116 002.2 OF 002 we do." He added: "The OSCE can now calibrate our program, tailored to yours. We need to be managerially intelligent so as not to duplicate your efforts." ¶6. (U) The OSCE Bishkek office has released a DVD, entitled "Building a Modern Kyrgyz Police," to highlight the OSCE's work in building relationships between Kyrgyz police and local communities. Since its inception in 2002, the OSCE police training program has provided radios, tripled and automated emergency call systems, and provided training in tactical methods and human rights. OSCE Program Director Markus Muller recalled significant skepticism at the time of the program's launch, but pointed to successful examples of community involvement including neighborhood watch groups in Karakol. IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Several Ambassadors worked other agendas throughout the morning. Russian Ambassador Valentin Vlasov chatted up Erkin Atabekov of the Kyrgyz MFA, frequently disrupting speakers who were forced to talk over their sidebar. It appears that Vlasov is able to both talk and listen simultaneously, however, for when he interjected to stress the importance of coordination, he strongly echoed Ambassador Gfoeller's remarks. The Tajik Ambassador, for his part, snored through the session and the German Ambassador plugged a German company to deal with the uranium tailing problem. GFOELLER