KYRGYZ FOREIGN MINISTER PUSHES FOR CLOSER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BISHKEK 001184 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL CASC KIRF MARR KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ FOREIGN MINISTER PUSHES FOR CLOSER COOPERATION REF: A. BISHKEK 1182 ¶B. BISHKEK 1178 ¶C. STATE 118361 ¶D. BISHKEK 1100 BISHKEK 00001184 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: During a November 21 meeting, the Ambassador briefed Foreign Minister Karabayev on U.S. assistance efforts to help Kyrgyzstan meet food and energy needs this winter. She raised concerns that the new law on religion, as passed by Parliament, would restrict religious freedom; she urged that President Bakiyev return the law for fuller consideration of the OSCE's recommendations. The Ambassador told Karabayev that recent delays in international adoptions were affecting approximately sixty American families; Karabayev said an inter-ministerial working group would meet in early December to address concerns about the adoption process. Karabayev asked about the next round of senior-level bilateral consultations, and suggested meeting in the spring. He pressed the Ambassador for a formal response to the Kyrgyz request to accredit a consular official in New York. Karabayev also urged resolution of the December 2006 shooting case and the Yasynov traffic accident case. End summary. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador met November 21 with Foreign Minister Karabayev to discuss a number of issues ahead of the Ambassador's upcoming consultations in Washington. Karabayev, who had come to the Ministry on a personal day off to meet with the Ambassador, was welcoming but business-like. He had prepared a long list of points, including areas where he would like to see greater cooperation. Update on U.S. Assistance -------------- ¶3. (C) The Ambassador briefed Karabyev on the steps taken to help Kyrgyzstan deal with food and energy shortages this winter. She told him that USAID had provided high-quality wheat seeds for winter sowing, and she explained that USAID was also providing back-up generators for hospitals and spare parts for the electricity distribution system. The Ambassador thanked the Minister for his help in concluding the "505" end-use and re-transfer agreement, which will allow for delivery of additional security-related assistance to Kyrgyzstan. The Ambassador also informed Karabayev about recent complications in the delivery of humanitarian medical assistance. New legislation prohibits importing drugs that are not registered in Kyrgyzstan, but only a small percentage of commonly used drugs are registered in Kyrgyzstan. She explained that we are working with the Ministry of Health to try to resolve the issue, but unless the rules are changed, future humanitarian shipments could be blocked. Concerns about Religion Law -------------- ¶4. (C) The Ambassador told Karabayev that the United States was concerned that the new Law on Religion, passed by Parliament but not yet signed by President Bakiyev, would restrict religious freedom and make it more difficult for minority religious organizations to operate in Kyrgyzstan (Ref C). The Ambassador noted that she had also raised this issue with the Speaker of Parliament (Ref B),and she urged that Bakiyev return the law for further consideration, including taking into account the expert advice provided by OSCE at the request of the Kyrgyz government. Working Group on Adoptions -------------- ¶5. (C) The Ambassador asked about delays of several months in BISHKEK 00001184 002.2 OF 002 the inter-country adoption process. She told Karabayev that she had received letters from prospective adoptive parents who had paid substantial fees and had their applications approved, but were not able to complete their adoptions because of an apparent moratorium. She said that sixty American couples were now stuck in this process. Karabayev told the Ambassador that "adoptions are also a problem for us" because of insufficient oversight of the private agencies. He said that adoptions had become a "commercial activity" and that children should not be "objects of trade." He said a governmental working group would meet in December to address concerns about the adoption process. Karabayev's List -------------- ¶6. (C) Karabayev then rattled off a long list of bilateral issues -- some points he wanted to resolve and some areas where he wanted to increase cooperation. At the top of his list was setting a time and working on an agenda for the next round of senior-level bilateral consultations. (Note: The first Comprehensive Policy Dialogue meeting took place in Washington in September 2007. The second meeting took place in Bishkek in March 2008. End Note.) Karabayev said he wanted to build on the "Program of Cooperation." (Note: The "Program" Karabayev referred to is a document outlining current and proposed projects in the political sphere, the security sphere, and the economic/commercial sphere. End note.) ¶7. (C) Karabayev raised two issues that he said needed to be resolved urgently. He asked that the U.S. provide the investigation report and the final disposition of the case of the December 2006 shooting death of a Kyrgyz truck driver by a Manas Air Base airman. Karabayev also asked that the U.S. take action in the Yasynov traffic accident case. ¶8. (C) Without going into detail, Karabayev listed a number of other issues. He asked the Ambassador for an official response to the Kyrgyz request to accredit a consular official in New York. He said that Kyrgyzstan would like support for its future candidacy for the UN Security Council, as well as for the Human Rights Council. He said Kyrgyzstan would welcome more visits by U.S. Senators and Members of Congress. Karabayev also wanted to work together to identify "concrete reconstruction projects" in Afghanistan in which Kyrgyzstan might participate. Karabayev also spoke generally of greater cooperation and consultation in addressing terrorism/extremism, narco-trafficking, and the economic crisis. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Karabayev was warm and welcoming, but he was focused on business. For this meeting, he had prepared his bullet-point list of issues, though he did not go into detail about how he envisioned addressing most of these issues. He was also prepared to respond on the adoptions question, raising concerns and promising government review of the process -- but offering no assurances to the couples affected by the delays. Karabayev clearly is anxious to set a date and agenda for senior-level consultation, but he understands that such a meeting is not likely before the spring. He, like the Prime Minister earlier (Ref A),cited the 2006 shooting incident and Yasynov traffic accident as the two main unresolved bilateral issues that the Kyrgyz hope the U.S. will address. GFOELLER