OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO OSCE PROJECT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 048273

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM OSCE UZ
SUBJECT: OSCE PERMANENT COUNCIL: RESPONSE TO OSCE PROJECT
COORDINATOR IN UZBEKISTAN



1. Post is authorized to make the following statement at
the May 8, 2008, meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in
Vienna:

Begin Text:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The United States welcomes Ambassador Venczel to the
Permanent Council in his new role as the OSCE Project
Coordinator in Uzbekistan. We are confident that, with his
extensive experience in the region, he will be successful in
this important work in Uzbekistan.

Mr. Ambassador, it is encouraging that the Government of
Uzbekistan has granted you a three-year accreditation, and
recently approved fifteen of nineteen outstanding project
proposals. We see these as positive measures for enhancing
Uzbekistan,s relationship with the Project Coordinator,s
Office and an indication of support for the OSCE,s work.
That said, we hope that in the future the process for
reviewing project proposals can be shortened so as to reduce
the time needed for implementation, and we hope that projects
will be approved without limitations placed on
implementation.

The United States fully supports the Project Coordinator,s
work in all three dimensions. The Project Coordinator,s work
on anti-terrorism activities, such as conducting travel
document security workshops, and its work assisting the
police academy, are proven examples of good cooperation with
the authorities to consolidate security. We also commend the
Project Coordinator,s work to advance economic development
while promoting rule of law, such as the opening of two
commercial arbitration courts and training for judges.

We note that the Office was able to make progress in human
dimension activities over the past year despite working with
a new, limited mandate. We believe the Office,s outreach to
inform the public, academicians, politicians, and NGOs about
OSCE commitments, especially in the field of human rights,
can have a very positive impact. We were particularly
impressed by the training courses for law faculty on UN and
OSCE commitments in the field of human rights and rule of
law, and we hope to see such types of projects continued. We
hope, nonetheless, that Uzbekistan will allow the Office to
become a center with a full mandate across all three
dimensions.

In February, the United States intervened before this Council
to note the limited progress made by Uzbekistan in meeting
its Helsinki Commitments. We have continued to see progress,
but unfortunately also some backtracking, specifically
concerning religious freedom and NGO accreditation. We hope
that these concerns are resolved soon, and believe the
Project Coordinator,s Office can help officials sort through
some of these issues

As Ambassador Venczel outlined in his report, the Project
Coordinator,s Office has done an excellent job in working
with other OSCE institutions*including the Strategic Police
Matters Unit, the High Commissioner on National Minorities,
and ODIHR*to advance the goal of meeting OSCE commitments by
providing expert assistance. We hope this cooperation
continues, especially in light of the final ODIHR election
report released in April on Uzbekistan,s presidential
election, which ODIHR assessed as falling short of OSCE
commitments. ODIHR has once again done a commendable job in
detailing specific recommendations to improve Uzbekistan,s
election process in the future, and we count on the Uzbek
authorities to implement these recommendations, many of which
were contained in ODIHR,s final report on the 2004 Uzbek
parliamentary elections.

The United States takes note of recent efforts by the Project
Coordinator,s Office and the Government of Uzbekistan to
promote regional activities and cooperation, including the
October conference on sustainable development in the region
and, most recently, the April conference on security in
Central Asia. Security in the region will depend to some
degree on the success of international efforts in neighboring
Afghanistan. We are therefore pleased that Uzbekistan is
engaging with its neighbors and with international
organizations to support stabilization efforts. On the OSCE
front, we hope that this results in Uzbekistan,s
participation in regional training activities for borders and
customs officials, and a successful OSCE-led border

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assessment in Uzbekistan that can set the stage for improved
border and customs management.

As always, the United States supports the important role that
the OSCE Project Coordinator,s Office in Tashkent can play
in assisting the Government of Uzbekistan fulfill its
Helsinki commitments. We stand ready to support the
Government and the Project Coordinator in their efforts.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman
RICE