KYRGYZ SECURITY COUNCIL: WHERE'S OUR $150 MILLION?

C O N F I D E N T I A L BISHKEK 000861 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR EAID KG SUBJECT: KYRGYZ SECURITY COUNCIL: WHERE'S OUR $150 MILLION? REF: BISHKEK 836 Classified By: CDA Lee Litzenberger, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Charge met August 21 with Kyrgyz Security Council Deputy Secretary Amangeldi Bakirov and Chief Inspector Alik Mamyrkulov to discuss U.S. assistance and spending in Kyrgyzstan. Bakirov had asked for a detailed accounting of U.S. assistance in 2008. Mamyrkulov insisted that the United States owed Kyrgyzstan $150 million in support annually for use of the Manas Coalition Air Base. Mamyrkulov said that the $150 million could include payments related to the base, military programs, and other "useful" assistance, but the government did not count spending by USAID, Peace Corps, and "other programs that don't benefit Kyrgyzstan" in this total. ¶2. (C) As he had done in previous meetings, Charge explained that in July 2006, the United States and Kyrgyzstan reached agreement on a protocol for land rents and other financial arrangements for the base, totaling $17.4 million per year. Charge further explained that at the signing of the 2006 protocol, the United States and Kyrgyzstan issued a joint statement which said that the United States "expected to provide approximately $150 million" in compensation and assistance over the next year, i.e. 2007. Charge said that the $150 million figure represented an estimate of the benefits derived by Kyrgyzstan from the overall relationship with the United States, including USAID programs, Peace Corps, and humanitarian assistance. Charge added that the United States had, in fact, provided approximately $150 million in total compensation, payments, and assistance in 2007 and was on track to provide even more in 2008. ¶3. (C) Mamyrkulov claimed that the Embassy had never answered former Security Council Secretary's Mamytov's letter asking for a detailed breakdown of 2007 assistance and spending. Charge explained that former Ambassador Yovanovitch had met several times with Mamytov to discuss 2007 assistance figures, and at their last meeting, Mamytov had said he was "satisfied." Charge offered to send Bakirov and Mamyrkulov the same information. ¶4. (C) Bakirov asked for increased U.S. assistance directly to the Kyrgyz government to help deal with expected food and energy shortages this winter. He suggested forming a working group to "coordinate" U.S. assistance for the next fiscal year, so that we could match U.S. assistance to "Kyrgyz priorities." Charge said that the United States was looking at ways to provide targeted assistance for the coming winter, and he pointed out that U.S. assistance was already closely coordinated with the Prime Minister's office, with individual ministries, and with the donor community. ¶5. (C) Comment: There was nothing new in this conversation: the Kyrgyz government continues to insist that the United States "owes" Kyrgyzstan $150 million per year for the base, and it does not count major components of U.S. assistance toward that sum. President Bakiyev, in his August 5 meeting with CODEL Reid (reftel),similarly complained that the U.S. government was "failing to meet its obligation" to provide $150 million and that Kyrgyzstan was not receiving "even half that amount." We will continue to provide the Kyrgyz government with detailed information about U.S. assistance, but the Kyrgyz government is not in listening mode and will continue to use their (mis)interpretation of the $150 million figure as a tool to push for greater U.S. assistance. LITZENBERGER