Kyrgyz Visitor Group Returns from U.S. BaQTour with

UNCLAS BISHKEK 000742 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN AND SCA/PPD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO SCUL PGOV PREL PINR KG SUBJECT: Kyrgyz Visitor Group Returns from U.S. BaQTour with Mixed Feelings ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Four Kyrgyz officials returned from an International Visitor Program tour of Air Force bases in the U.S. convinced that hosting a base offers benefits for a community, but eager to increase such benefits in Kyrgyzstan. In separate meetings with Embassy and Manas Airbase leadership, the group argued for more Kyrgyz jobs and contracts. The trip created positive impressions of America and helped the Kyrgyz learn more about Manas Air Base, but seemed to fall short of expectations in convincing them to support the base in a more positive and open manner. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Embassy Bishkek, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, organized an International Visitor Program trip for four Kyrgyz government officials to see the positive relationship between airbases and their host communities in the United States, with the intent of increasing support for the Manas Coalition Airbase in Kyrgyzstan. The group spent three weeks in March and April visiting four bases, meeting with base officials, local civic leaders, and business groups. ¶3. (U) The Kyrgyz officials who participated were: Alymbai Abakirov, Deputy Director, Department of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Transport and Communications; Aitkul Burhanov, Deputy Director, State Agency for Environment Protection and Forestry; Galina Tereshchuk, Head, Oktyabrskoe Village Council; and Duishenbek Zilaliev, Expert, Defense and Security Unit, Administration of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic. ¶4. (U) Upon their return to Kyrgyzstan, the group met with Ambassador Yovanovitch. They expressed sincere gratitude for the opportunity and appreciation of American society. However, they quickly raised their main conclusion from the trip: bases in the U.S. are more integrated into communities, providing jobs, business contracts, and social connections. They claimed that it is difficult to defend the Coalition base in Kyrgyzstan, both within the government and publicly, when the base brings few benefits and creates problems, such as shootings and fuel dumpings. ¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador explained that the base provides hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars for the Kyrgyz economy. She argued that the base would receive more public support if the Kyrgyz government did more publicly to support its presence. The Kyrgyz agreed to relay their positive impressions of the base to colleagues, but asked the Embassy to publicize the benefits in the press more often. ¶6. (U) The group also traveled to Manas Airbase to meet with then-wing commander, Col Harrison Smith, on May 23. Presidential aide Zilaliev led the group in the same round of complaints. Base officials explained that Manas' more limited engagement with the community is due to its temporary nature and its location outside of the U.S. The officials provided many figures on the benefits of the base, including a calculation that the base contributes more to the local economy per soldier than a comparable base in the U.S. The group was surprised, and again urged the figures to be made public. They also asked for base vacancy and tender notices to be made more widely available to ensure fair distribution. ¶7. (SBU) Comment: While we had hoped that the Kyrgyz International Visitors would focus more on how communities in the U.S. support bases, this group came away wanting even more economic benefits out of Manas Airbase. Still, the visit was helpful to familiarize them with base issues and, more importantly, the contributions which are possible due to the presence of the base, setting them up to be future interlocutors. Litzenberger