TAJIKISTAN - SCO SUMMIT STATEMENT MENTIONS SOUTH

C O N F I D E N T I A L DUSHANBE 001109 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2018 TAGS: PREL GG RU TI SUBJECT: TAJIKISTAN - SCO SUMMIT STATEMENT MENTIONS SOUTH OSSETIA REF: DUSHANBE 1108 Classified By: Ambassador Tracey A. Jacobson, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit has concluded with bland statements and some confusion about the members' positions on South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Summit Declaration contradictorily endorsed Russian peacemaking efforts in South Ossetia, and also welcomed the six point peace agreement brokered by France. End Summary. The Bland -------------- ¶2. (U) The Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit concluded at 1430 on August 28 with a Soviet-style "press conference," at which President Rahmon read a bland statement to the effect that the summit was productive, members found common ground on a number of issues, and cooperation in security, economic cooperation, and the cultural sphere was developing. After noting that the summit had discussed the issues of terrorism, energy, and food security, and that Tajikistan called for the establishment of an SCO anti-drug organization, Rahmon dismissed the media in attendance without taking any questions. The Hopeful -------------- ¶3. (U) Russian President Medvedev made several remarks about Georgia and South Ossetia during the open session of the summit. In addition to condemnation of Georgian "aggression," he thanked the other SCO members for what he called their "objective evaluation" of Russia's activities in South Ossetia, and said it would achieve "international resonance" and send a signal to those who tried to support aggression. And the Confused -------------- ¶4. (U) The summit communiqu expressed the members' "deep concern" about recent events in South Ossetia, and urged the parties to the conflict to resolve it through negotiation. The communiqu called also said "member states of the SCO welcome the 12 August approval in Moscow of the six principles to resolve the conflict in South Ossetia, and support the active role of Russia in establishing peace and cooperation in that region." ¶5. (C) Comment: We have no word yet on what went on in the closed-door session preceding these remarks. In public there was no mention of independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but the communiqu's expression of support for Russia's role in the conflict appears to go beyond neutrality. We suspect that Russia pushed the Tajiks and their Central Asian friends a little further than they were planning to go. August 29 will be Medvedev's official visit in Dushanbe, and we await further words from him and Tajik leaders on this subject. End Comment. JACOBSON