NO KYRGYZ APPROVAL YET FOR MANAS AIRBASE PARKING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BISHKEK 001282

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR MOPS KG
SUBJECT: NO KYRGYZ APPROVAL YET FOR MANAS AIRBASE PARKING
RAMP

BISHKEK 00001282 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. Following months of discussion between
Manas Air Base and Manas International Airport, Airport
authorities now support a proposed $37 million infrastructure
project to build three new parking aprons and a hot cargo pad
for use by coalition aircraft at Manas Air Base. Though
necessary, Airport support is not sufficient, and our focus
now is on obtaining political approval from the Kyrgyz
Government. The latter refused to take a decision on the
project last summer due to pressure from Moscow, and the
project remains as politically controversial as it is
economically appealing. The Base is understandably anxious
to break ground soon, but getting the Kyrgyz to yes on this
proposal is not assured. For political reasons, the Kyrgyz
will not support anything that is viewed as an expansion of
the Base. As the Embassy works to sell the Kyrgyz
bureaucracy on the project, it is essential that no ground be
broken prior to obtaining written political approval. Should
we do otherwise, the Kyrgyz would view it as a violation of
sovereignty that would undermine support for the project and
could threaten our continued access to Manas Air Base. End
Summary.

Background: First proposal fails
--------------


2. (C) The U.S. first proposed construction of a parking
ramp for coalition aircraft in November 2007. Initial Kyrgyz
response was positive, but the proposal involved use of land
leased by private individuals, and the required consolidation
of this land entailed parliamentary approval. In May 2008,
the press got wind of the project and portrayed it
(incorrectly) as a request to double the size of the base and
turn it into a permanent facility. The Security Council sent
a letter to the Embassy saying that the project was
"inexpedient." The Minister of Defense and his first Deputy
were fired, in part over their support for the ramp project.
Subsequently, the Embassy learned that Russian pressure had
given the Kyrgyz cold feet on the project and, in the run up
to the October summit of the Commonwealth of Independent
States, which Kyrgyzstan was hosting, Kyrgyz approval for the
project would not be forthcoming. However, the Kyrgyz
government had never met to discuss the project, and it
remained an open issue.

The Base tries again
--------------


3. (C) In an effort to break the impasse, Manas Air Base
redesigned the ramp project, which now consists of three
ramps located on land currently leased from Manas Airport.
Over the past few months, the Base has ironed out all related
technical issues with the Airport, which now supports the
project. Key to obtaining Airport support has been assuring
the Airport that it would not lose revenue when the coalition
begins using the new ramp in lieu of the spaces it now leases
from the Airport. In a December 5 meeting, Airport President
Sydykov informed the Base and the Embassy that it has
referred the proposal to its Board of Governors, which will
meet in January. The Board is likely to pass it on to the
State Property Fund, which in turn will refer it back to the
government in the form of the Cabinet of Ministers. Sydykov
requested that ground not be broken on the project before
political approval is obtained, a point he returned to
repeatedly during the meeting. Although Sydykov supports the
ramp project, it is not clear how hard he will personally
press for the project. Sydykov is the son of former
Presidential Advisor Usen Sydykov, who was recently relieved
of his post.

And adds on a Hot Pad
--------------

BISHKEK 00001282 002.2 OF 003




4. (C) In addition, the Base has proposed construction of a
$6-7 million hot cargo pad, for handling ammunition and other
hazardous materials. The latter would be built on land
leased from the Ministry of Defense, which supports the
project, and the Ministry has begun the interagency process
it will need to obtain approval. However, the new Minister
of Defense is not prepared to take too high a profile on the
project, given his predecessor's fate.

Contracting Timelines
--------------


5. (C) Manas Air Base has awarded the primary contract for
the project, and is anxious to break ground early in 2009.
If this is not possible, the funding for these projects will
be re-directed to another country, and the Air Force needs
time to effect this prior to the expiration of funds at the
end of FY09.

Embassy Efforts to Accelerate Political Decision
-------------- ---


6. (C) To accelerate the internal Kyrgyz process for
reaching a political decision on the ramp project, the
Charge met with Presidential Foreign Policy Advisor Ryskulov
on December 16, with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Western
Country Director Tursunkulov on December 21, and with the
Prime Minister's Chief of International Affairs, Sapar
Isakov, on December 24. The Charge explained the project and
described the need for a political decision early in the new
year. All expressed support for the project, which would
constitute a significant economic investment in airport
infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan. Ryskulov said it was essential
that the airport proposal highlight the economic benefit of
the project to Kyrgyzstan; Tursunkulov said MFA would support
the project, if asked its opinion; and Isakov said he would
raise the issue directly with the Prime Minister and begin
laying the groundwork for reaching a political decision. He
asked for some additional information on the project, and
commended the recent Base orientation visit for 15 members of
Parliament, in which the members were briefed on the ramp
project and expressed support for the project. "This was
important," Isakov said, "because parliament believed the
project was an expansion of the Base."

Next Steps
--------------


7. (C) The Embassy will continue to engage with senior
Kyrgyz officials in an effort to spur a positive political
decision early in the new year. Upcoming high level visits
also offer opportunities for making our case. Much
misinformation remains among government officials regarding
the ramp proposal, which we will seek to address in our
demarches. Concerns range from the earlier media
disinformation that the base was seeking to double the amount
of land it leases, to more complex issues such as why we say
the ramps would cost $30 million when the Kyrgyz say that
they could do it for $15 million, to lingering suspicions
that the U.S. persistence in pushing for the project is due
to some hidden agenda, to indifference over a project that
the U.S. proposed but the Kyrgyz have never asked for.

Comment: Need to Respect Kyrgyz Sensitivities
-------------- -


8. (C) As we work the Kyrgyz interagency process, however,
it is essential that the U.S. side refrains from breaking
ground prior to obtaining the written governmental approval
we need. The Kyrgyz decision process will not be driven by
internal U.S. contracting timelines, and while the Embassy
can help accelerate the Kyrgyz process, it would be

BISHKEK 00001282 003.2 OF 003


inadvisable to try to circumvent it. Legally, the Air Base
has contractual authority to modify land it has under lease;
politically, though, the Kyrgyz are hypersensitive to
perceived slights to their sovereignty. Given last summer's
media controversy surrounding the ramp project, it is in our
interest to cross all the political T's and dot all the
political I's as we move forward. Breaking ground without
political approval would not just risk killing the ramp
project, it could also spark an emotional reaction from the
Kyrgyz to close the base.


9. (C) As the process moves forward, we can expect renewed
opposition from Moscow and, possibly, another round of
disinformation in the media. Also, it is important that we
prepare ourselves to accept either a "no" from the Kyrgyz or,
more probably, an inability of the Kyrgyz government to take
a decision in time to keep the project on schedule. Finally,
we must keep in mind the continued corrosive effect of the
unresolved 2006 shooting incident, and President Bakiyev's
continued (incorrect) perception that the U.S. has failed to
live up to its 2006 pledge to provide $150 million annually
in overall assistance. In both cases, what stings is the
perception that the U.S. is not treating Kyrgyzstan with the
respect due a sovereign nation. For that reason, we must
take extra care to be respectful in our handling of the ramp
project.
LITZENBERGER