UZBEK MFA DENIES COLLUSION WITH RUSSIA ON MANAS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001133 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/02/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL MARR UZ SUBJECT: UZBEK MFA DENIES COLLUSION WITH RUSSIA ON MANAS REF: BISHKEK 1002 Classified By: P-E Chief Nicholas Berliner for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Ambassador met with Uzbek MFA Americas Department Director Takhir Mamadjanov on October 3 to urge the Government of Uzbekistan not to allow the future of Manas Air Base to be questioned during the upcoming CIS Summit. Ambassador underscored the importance of Manas to Coalition operations in Afghanistan and said that he was sure that the GOU would take no steps to threaten its continued operations, despite rumors of Russian pressure to get involved in this issue in exchange for support on trans-border water issues. Mamadjanov categorically denied that Uzbekistan was even discussing what he termed an entirely internal policy question of a neighboring state. He said that Uzbekistan conducts its foreign policy on a bilateral basis and does not conduct such "third party" diplomacy. Manas was an issue between the U.S. and Kyrgystan, he said. ¶2. (C) Comment: Numerous sources in Tashkent point to strains in relations between Russia and Uzbekistan following events in Georgia. If anything, the GOU has sought to strike a more balanced posture between Russia and the U.S. since August. Other contacts here have also said that Russia has not played an important role in the regional water disputes, apart from the commercial interests of its companies to construct hydro electric power stations, deals that the GOU is adamantly opposed to. We therefore judge it unlikely that Uzbekistan would conspire with Russia in such a facile manner to undermine the U.S. position in Manas. It is also important to keep in mind the background of bilateral tensions between Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan over water and natural gas, which intensify with the approach of winter. NORLAND