UZBEKISTAN: GULNORA KARIMOVA'S GENEVA U.N. \

170357 2008-09-18 08:53:00 08TASHKENT1072 Embassy Tashkent CONFIDENTIAL VZCZCXYZ0001\ RR RUEHWEB\ \ DE RUEHNT #1072 2620853\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ R 180853Z SEP 08\ FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0300\ INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE\ RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 4339\ RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 0554\ RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4956\ RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0817\ RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0579\ RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0835\ RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 4545\ RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2834\ RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0856\ RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 7590\ RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1495\ RUEHUM/AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR 0206\ RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC 0389\ RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2791\ RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC 0246\ RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0374\ RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 2035\ RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1459\ RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC\ RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC\ RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL 0012\ C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001072 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2018 \ TAGS: PGOV PINR UZ SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: GULNORA KARIMOVA'S GENEVA U.N. \ APPOINTMENT MAY REFLECT CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUTURE \ \ Classified By: Poloff Steven Prohaska for reasons 1.4 (b, d). \ \ ¶1. (C) Embassy contacts and press reporting have recently \ indicated that President Karimov's oldest daughter, Gulnora \ Karimova, has been appointed as Uzbekistan's permanent \ representative to the United Nations Mission in Geneva, \ though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Americas Desk had not \ confirmed this information to us as of September 18. \ Karimova has served as Deputy Foreign Minister for \ International Cooperation in the Cultural and Humanitarian \ Spheres in recent months. On September 9, XXXXXXXXXXXX confirmed to Ambassador Norland that \ Gulnora and her two children recently received visas allowing \ them to move to Geneva, where she will assume duties as \ permrep at Uzbekistan's UN Mission. XXXXXXXXXXXX \ indicated that the request for the visas had come through \ very suddenly and with pressure for a fast turnaround. XXXXXXXXXXXX \ did not know whether Gulnora had yet departed Uzbekistan. \ The private teacher of Gulnora's son told Poloff on September \ 9, however, that he and his wife had just returned from \ London for the new academic year, but had yet to start \ teaching because both Gulnora and her son were in \ Switzerland. The teacher was uncertain whether he would \ remain in Tashkent or would be asked to join them in \ Switzerland. \ \ Comment: \ -------------- \ \ ¶2. (C) Karimova's new position as Uzbek permrep to the UN in \ Geneva puts her much closer to the Switzerland-based Zeromax \ corporation, which provides much of the Karimov family's \ wealth, but probably does little to enhance her political \ standing at home. Despite speculation over the years that \ President Karimov may be grooming Gulnora to succeed him, the \ decision to send Karimova to Geneva may reflect a desire to \ secure the family's finances and enhance its prospects for \ future safety and security if conditions in Uzbekistan turn \ against the Karimov family, rather than to provide her with \ another stepping stone in her political career. Karimova has \ given little indication of her long-term political plans, but \ the Karimov family has made many enemies; the fear and \ loathing that many alienated businessmen in Uzbekistan have \ for her suggests that her life in a post-Karimov Uzbekistan \ would be less than secure. It is interesting to note now \ that both Karimov daughters hold diplomatic postings outside \ of Uzbekistan--Gulnora in Geneva, and Lola at UNESCO in Paris. \ NORLAND \