RUSSIAN ENGAGEMENT WITH CENTRAL ASIAN CENTER -

UNCLAS STATE 029319

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
MOSCOW FOR INL-PRAHAR
UNVIE FOR WICKES
ASTANA FOR BEAVER
DEA FOR JONES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR RU KZ
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN ENGAGEMENT WITH CENTRAL ASIAN CENTER -
CARICC

REF: 07 UNVIE 721

1.(SBU) This is an action request for Embassy Moscow.
Department requests Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) Chief and
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Attache first approach
interlocutors within the Government of Russia (GOR)
informally about increased, meaningful cooperation with the
Central Asia Regional Information Coordination Center
(CARICC),based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. NAS and DEA are
requested to inquire about Russia signing the CARICC
Framework Agreement within the next three months, ratifying
the Agreement, and possible secondment of experienced
counternarcotics staff to the Center within the same time
frame. If Government of Russia (GOR) interlocutors are
unable to confirm actions will happen within three months,
Post is requested to then demarche the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs to urge Russia to demonstrate their commitment to
this important Eurasian institution by taking action to
ratify the Agreement and send appropriate staff to Almaty.
Suggested language for approach and demarche is contained in
paragraph 4.

2.(U) BACKGROUND: CARICC is a regional law enforcement
center designed to improve interdiction and analysis of
smuggling trends, particularly smuggling of drugs. The
Center is a multilateral project, implemented by the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Funding for
CARICC comes from the United States (The International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau has provided $2.8
million in funding to date),as well as modest funding from
Italy, Canada, Finland, Great Britain, and Turkey. Russia is
a founding member state of CARICC, and the destination
country for much of the narcotics flowing north from
Afghanistan through Central Asia. Unfortunately, Russia has
yet to sign or ratify the CARICC Framework Agreement or to
send Russian law enforcement personnel to staff the center,
now in its pilot phase. In multilateral and bilateral
settings, Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that
they wish to pursue cooperation with the United States on
counternarcotics and counterterrorism projects. The
Department believes the CARICC center offers a way for Russia
to partner with the U.S. and Central Asia to improve the
ability of law enforcement personnel to detect smuggling
trends, to provide better law enforcement information
sharing, and to interdict the flow of drugs. Other member
states, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have finalized their legislation;
Turkmenistan became the first member state to ratify the
Central Asia Regional Information Coordination Center
Framework Agreement on December 28, 2007. The Center is
currently operating in a pilot phase, with seconded staff
from Kazakhstan (the host country),and law enforcement
officers from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan doing
analysis of smuggling trends based on reports from their home
government's law enforcement personnel. END BACKGROUND.


3. (SBU) The Department would appreciate any information NAS
and DEA gather about why Russia has been reluctant to sign
and ratify the framework agreement or to send officers to
staff the Center. Not only do the drugs wind up in Russia,
this is a clear opportunity for Russia to put its imprimatur
on the Center's activities, as they are regional leaders in
technical expertise and analysis of counternarcotics and
smuggling trends. The Department also believes that Russian
leadership would improve longer-term Central Asian commitment
to the Center.


4. (U) If NAS and DEA are unable to confirm that ratification
of the CARICC legislation and staff support will take place
in the very near term, Embassy Moscow should draw on the
following language for a demarche to appropriate government
ministries to encourage Russia to demonstrate their
commitment to deter smuggling of narcotics and other illicit
goods and their willingness to cooperate with the U.S. in
this effort.

-- The U.S. appreciates the many offers the Government of
Russia has made to cooperate in efforts to reduce the amount
of counternarcotics, particularly opium products smuggled
from Afghanistan into Europe and Eurasia. Afghanistan is the
source of more than 80 per cent of the world's opium supply
according to United Nations statistics.

-- The training provided by the Russian government to Central
Asian states under the projects sponsored by the United
Nations, the NATO-Russia council and other bodies have
significantly improved their ability to detect and interdict
many illicit goods.

-- A public demonstration of commitment to the fight against
illicit drugs would be useful, since Russia remains a model
for law enforcement in the narcotics transit region of
Central Asia.

-- The Central Asia Regional Information Center in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, would benefit from increased Russian involvement,
both in terms of Russia's superior technical expertise in
this area as well as promoting greater commitment by the
other partner nations.

-- We urge Russia to quickly sign and seek ratification of
the Framework Agreement for the Center soon, in order to
publicly demonstrate their commitment to cooperation with
regional counternarcotics efforts. We believe Russian
leadership will cause the Central Asian countries to
re-affirm their own commitment to the Center.

-- We also urge Russia to send several experienced Drug
Liaison Officers to help staff the Center and provide their
expertise. They are needed urgently to move the Center
beyond the pilot phase.


5. (U) REPORTING: Embassy is requested to report informal
response from the GOR to NAS and DEA approaches by March 24.
Embassy is requested to deliver demarche, if so needed, by
March 27 and report any response by March 31. Please slug
replies for INL/AAE - Elizabeth Carroll, SCA/RA - Anne
Cummings, and EUR/RUS - Kathleen Szpila/Howard Solomon.
Please info UNVIE as well.


6. (U) As always, Department appreciates Embassy's
assistance.
RICE