CENTRAL ASIA: A/DAS SPRATLEN'S CONSULTATIONS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 000749

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV ZK UZ TI KZ KG TX FR
SUBJECT: CENTRAL ASIA: A/DAS SPRATLEN'S CONSULTATIONS WITH
THE GOF

Classified By: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT FOR REASO
NS 1.4 (b) AND (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: In April 4 meetings with French officials
responsible for Central Asia, SCA A/DAS Pamela Spratlen was
briefed on GOF plans for future engagement in the region,
including FM Kouchner's April 10-11 visits to Ashgabat and
Dushanbe as well as France's priorities for the region during
its July-December 2008 EU Presidency. In this discussion of
U.S. and European interests in the region, Spratlen and her
interlocutors agreed on the importance of U.S./EU coordinated
action. Both the MFA and the PM's office underlined the
French intention to use the EU's Central Asia Strategy
framework adopted during the German EU Presidency
(January-July 2007) as the basis for its own EU Presidency
initiatives in the region as well as for its bilateral
engagement with countries in the region.


2. (C) GOF officials explained France's regional priorities
as broadly concentrated in three key areas: security, energy,
and trafficking. France intends to work on several specific
projects in these areas, including border security, human
rights, environmental security, water management, trafficking
in persons, and narco-trafficking. Spratlen obtained French
assurances on three key issues: (1) maintaining pressure on
Kazakhstan to meet its Madrid commitments; (2) staying
engaged, at a high level, with Dushanbe on the OSCE's
mandate; and (3) continuing close U.S.- France and U.S.- EU
cooperation on our assessment of Uzbekistan's progress on
human rights. With all interlocutors, Spratlen laid out U.S
policy as helping the five Central Asian states strengthen
their sovereignty and independence by opening up their
societies and developing trade and strategic partners in the
wider region, especially Afghanistan and points south. END
SUMMARY

INTERLOCUTORS
--------------


3. (SBU) SCA A/DAS Pamela Spratlen met with the following
French officials on April 4 in Paris: Isabelle Dumont, FM
Kouchner's Counselor for Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus,
and the Balkans; Jacques Faure, MFA A/S-equivalent for
Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Balkans;
Alexandre Vulic, MFA DAS-equivalent for Russia, Central Asia,
and the Caucasus; Helene Roos, MFA Desk officer for Central
Asia; and Emmanuel Mignot, the PM's Diplomatic Counselor for
Strategic Affairs (NATO, non-proliferation),Russia, Central
Asia, and the Caucasus. Spratlen also met with Thomas
Gomart, Director of the Russia/CIS program at the French
Institute for International Relations (IFRI),a well known
French think-tank.

FRANCE'S COMEBACK IN CENTRAL ASIA
--------------


4. (C) GOF officials told Spratlen that France largely
disappeared from Central Asia in the late 90s, but has made a
strategic decision to reinforce its presence in the region as
part of the EU's newly adopted regional strategy. Several
symbolic and substantive initiatives are part of France's
return: PM Fillon's visit to Kazakhstan in February 2008;
President Nazerbayev's upcoming visit to France in June 2008;
President Bakiyev's visit to France in late 2008; FM
Kouchner's visit to all five Central Asian capitals in April
and May 2008 (the first such visits in fifteen years); the
planned signing of a France/Kazakhstan Strategic Framework
agreement; and Paris, hosting of an EU/Central Asia
Ministerial Security Forum in October 2008.

GOF'S REGIONAL AGENDA
--------------


5. (C) France's renewed interest in the region and its
development initiatives all correspond to the EU's Central
Asia Strategy (adopted during the German January-July 2007 EU
Presidency),French officials told Spratlen. Central Asia
needs Europe, Mignot said, noting that some countries in the
region are looking for alternatives to Moscow. Europe needs
Central Asia, Mignot added, not only because of its markets
and resources but also because of its strategic location and
importance to success in Afghanistan. French officials told
Spratlen that France intends to focus on three key areas
during its EU Presidency: energy, security, and trafficking.

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As part of these broader themes, the GOF intends to introduce
dialogue (and projects where appropriate) which touch on
border security, energy security, narco-trafficking,
trafficking in persons, the threat of Islamic extremism in
Central Asia, a regional approach to water management, human
rights, rule of law, and democracy. Mignot added that the
GOF will encourage other high level European officials to
visit the region in order for them to better appreciate its
opportunities and challenges. Spratlen praised France and
the EU's positive engagement in Central Asia, and provided an
extensive briefing on the U.S.' work in the region which
focuses on strengthening sovereignty and independence by
encouraging open societies and developing trade and strategic
partners in the wider region, especially Afghanistan and
points south. U.S. policy, Spratlen emphasized, is largely
tied to human rights, political progress, economic expansion
and diversification, and institution and capacity building.

UZBEKISTAN
--------------


6. (C) Discussion on Uzbekistan focused largely on EU
sanctions which are scheduled to be reconsidered April 28,

2008. Mignot noted that France had observed some limited
progress in Uzbekistan on human rights since President
Sarkozy sent President Karimov a letter on the subject in
January 2008. French officials explained that they support
the continued suspension of EU sanctions in order to allow
time for Uzbekistan to build on its limited progress. In
particular, France is concerned about the implementation of a
recent accord to begin cooperation on judicial reform,
policing and law enforcement. EU sanctions officially expire
in October 2008 unless all 27 member states vote to reinstate
them. The GOF argued that a discussion in October will be
more fruitful if Uzbekistan has the additional six months to
demonstrate its intentions. French officials noted that
there are several states already against reinstating
sanctions in October 2008. If some EU members decide to
support a renewal of sanctions in October, their arguments
will be stronger if they can show that Tashkent did not take
sufficient advantage of the EU's year-long suspension in
order to make progress.


7. (C) Vulic told Spratlen that with the exception of Sweden,
the Netherlands, and Ireland, all other 24 member states
currently supported this strategy. France plans to engage
with Sweden, the Netherlands, and Ireland, none of whom are
represented in Tashkent. All French officials expressed a
great deal of interest in U.S. Congressional sanctions on
Uzbekistan, which Spratlen explained in detail. Spratlen
also urged France to consider how it can use the upcoming EU
discussions to pressure Tashkent to allow ICRC further
critical access to prisoners. Tashkent's progress on human
rights has been extremely limited, Spratlen argued, and the
international community must stay attentive to possible
negative developments.


8. (C) Faure and Vulic both inquired about the U.S.' analysis
of the Islamic radical threat to Uzbekistan and the countries
in the region, particularly from Hizb ut-Tahir. France is
concerned that the group's activities signal a heightened
threat of terrorism. Spratlen noted that Washington is aware
of EU interest in the subject, including EU envoy Pierre
Morel's concerns. The State Department intends to host a
conference on Islam in Central Asia next spring and Spratlen
agreed to share conclusions with the French, if possible.
Spratlen added that Islam is a very complex issue in the
region and that Hizb ut-Tahir is only one of many
organizations that warrant attention.

KAZAKHSTAN
--------------


9. (C) PM Fillon's visit to Astana in February 2008 marked
renewed French interest in a country that French officials
described to Spratlen as a "model and leader for the region."
President Nazerbayev intends to visit France in June 2008,
while Sarkozy has agreed to return the state visit in the
first half of 2009. Mignot told Spratlen that France will
soon sign a Strategic Framework Agreement with Astana -- a
move that should form the basis for broader economic and
security cooperation. Several French officials emphasized
France's excellent relations with Kazakhstan, and noted that
France has offered to train Kazakh diplomats and journalists

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in the run up to Astana's assumption of the 2010
Chairman-in-Office (CiO) position at the OSCE in Vienna.
Spratlen stressed that although Kazakhstan has made some
progress on human rights and democracy -- and more economic
gains than other Central Asian states -- it is critical to
keep pressure on Nazerbayev to live up to the commitments he
made at the Madrid OSCE Summit. Dumont and Vulic assured
Spratlen that France will maintain pressure on Kazakhstan to
live up to those commitments and will continue offering
assistance to help Astana succeed. Mignot added that France
also intends to double the number of Kazakh students given
the opportunity to study in French universities. Vulic noted
that France has proposed its own candidate to head the OSCE
mission in Kazakhstan, and would appreciate U.S. support.

TURKMENISTAN
--------------


10. (C) French MFA officials told Spratlen that the EU is
assessing its potential for assistance to Turkmenistan.
France, Vulic said, is the only Western country to host a
cultural center in Turkmenistan, but quickly added that this
was of limited advantage. FM Kouchner planned to present
France's interest in providing assistance on rule of law,
water management, and governance to Turkmenistan during his
April 10 visit to Ashgabat. France is also considering the
possibility of Trans-Caspian projects, but is cautious due to
the opaque nature of energy deals between Moscow and
Ashgabat. Overall, French officials assessed no substantive
changes in Turkmenistan, but noted that Ashgabat's desire to
have contact with the outside world was in and of itself a
fundamental change in the regime's position thereby providing
the EU with an opportunity for positive engagement. Spratlen
said that the U.S. sees the current opening -- since
Turkmenbashi's death -- as an opportunity to work with
Ashgabat in making democratic and economic advances. Fifteen
months in, Spratlen said, it is clear that this is a
long-term project requiring a great deal of patience.

TAJIKISTAN
--------------


11. (C) Spratlen told French officials that the OSCE's work
in Tajikistan is essential to the country's sustainability.
The international community, she argued, must redouble its
efforts. Dumont assured Spratlen that FM Kouchner intended
to raise the OSCE's mandate in Tajikistan during his visit to
Dushanbe on April 11. Dumont added that France offered
assistance to Tajikistan during the harsh winter but Tajik
authorities refused to identify specific aid requirements and
eventually refused France's offers. French authorities noted
that France's main focus in Tajikistan is security, including
France's airbase in Dushanbe which it uses to supply its
troops in Afghanistan.


12. (U) This cable has been cleared by A/DAS Spratlen.



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PEKALA