Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TASHKENT1341
2008-11-21 10:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tashkent
Cable title:
FATF Member Embassies Not United on Uzbekistan
how-toR 211044Z NOV 08 ZDS FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0007 INFO DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT AMEMBASSY BEIJING AMEMBASSY BRASILIA AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE AMEMBASSY BISHKEK AMEMBASSY TOKYO AMEMBASSY LONDON AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY TASHKENT AMEMBASSY BERLIN AMEMBASSY ROME AMEMBASSY BERN AMEMBASSY ASTANA AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001341
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CHANGE IN TEXT PARA 1
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2018
TAGS: ECON EFIN PGOV PINR PREL KCRM UZ
SUBJECT: FATF Member Embassies Not United on Uzbekistan
REF: a) STATE 122098, b) BERLIN 1564, c) TASHKENT 1158
CLASSIFIED BY: BERLINER, NICHOLAS
C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001341
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CHANGE IN TEXT PARA 1
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2018
TAGS: ECON EFIN PGOV PINR PREL KCRM UZ
SUBJECT: FATF Member Embassies Not United on Uzbekistan
REF: a) STATE 122098, b) BERLIN 1564, c) TASHKENT 1158
CLASSIFIED BY: BERLINER, NICHOLAS
1. (C) Ambassador delivered reftel points to Uzbek Deputy Prime
Minister Azimov and Foreign Minister Norov on November 19 on the
margins of meetings with TRANSCOM Commander General Duncan McNabb.
Azimov was already aware of the upcoming FATF team's visit and
mentioned DAS Glaser by name. He nodded when the Ambassador stressed
the importance we attach to this issue. Norov also indicated he was
aware of our concerns, though he pointed to Azimov as the GOU's lead
on this issue.
2. (C) On November 20, Ambassador met with colleagues from France,
Italy, UK, Germany and Japan urging them to make a similar approach
to the GOU. The French and UK ambassadors said that they would
deliver the message to the Uzbek side and that their governments
supported FATF's call for Uzbekistan to correct its AML/CFT regime.
The German DCM indicated that Berlin did not want to get out in
front of this issue with Uzbekistan and that his embassy would have
to seek instruction. Likewise, the Italian and Japanese DCMs said
that they would require instructions from capitals before making any
demarche.
3. (C) Comment: Both Germany and France said that they, like the
U.S., had been approached by the GOU in advance of the FATF's
October meeting in Rio de Janeiro. This was further indication of
the fact that the GOU is concerned about this issue. The Uzbeks have
maintained that they suspended parts of the law that were overly
burdensome for the banks or that threatened to further erode
citizens' already virtually non-existent trust in their banking
system. None of our interlocutors believed that Uzbek banking system
is complicit terrorist financing. However, given the degree of
domestic corruption and associations with organizations and
individuals in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet countries,
there are elements in Uzbekistan that do not welcome undue scrutiny
of their financial transactions. The Uzbeks frequently complain that
they are the victims of double standards and point to the fact that
other countries in the region have no AML/CFT laws at all. As we
continue to work with the Uzbeks on this issue, it is essential to
disabuse them of the notion that Uzbekistan is being singled out -
the FATF is a multilateral body and the norms that are expected of
Uzbekistan are international norms that apply to all countries.
NORLAND
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CHANGE IN TEXT PARA 1
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2018
TAGS: ECON EFIN PGOV PINR PREL KCRM UZ
SUBJECT: FATF Member Embassies Not United on Uzbekistan
REF: a) STATE 122098, b) BERLIN 1564, c) TASHKENT 1158
CLASSIFIED BY: BERLINER, NICHOLAS
1. (C) Ambassador delivered reftel points to Uzbek Deputy Prime
Minister Azimov and Foreign Minister Norov on November 19 on the
margins of meetings with TRANSCOM Commander General Duncan McNabb.
Azimov was already aware of the upcoming FATF team's visit and
mentioned DAS Glaser by name. He nodded when the Ambassador stressed
the importance we attach to this issue. Norov also indicated he was
aware of our concerns, though he pointed to Azimov as the GOU's lead
on this issue.
2. (C) On November 20, Ambassador met with colleagues from France,
Italy, UK, Germany and Japan urging them to make a similar approach
to the GOU. The French and UK ambassadors said that they would
deliver the message to the Uzbek side and that their governments
supported FATF's call for Uzbekistan to correct its AML/CFT regime.
The German DCM indicated that Berlin did not want to get out in
front of this issue with Uzbekistan and that his embassy would have
to seek instruction. Likewise, the Italian and Japanese DCMs said
that they would require instructions from capitals before making any
demarche.
3. (C) Comment: Both Germany and France said that they, like the
U.S., had been approached by the GOU in advance of the FATF's
October meeting in Rio de Janeiro. This was further indication of
the fact that the GOU is concerned about this issue. The Uzbeks have
maintained that they suspended parts of the law that were overly
burdensome for the banks or that threatened to further erode
citizens' already virtually non-existent trust in their banking
system. None of our interlocutors believed that Uzbek banking system
is complicit terrorist financing. However, given the degree of
domestic corruption and associations with organizations and
individuals in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet countries,
there are elements in Uzbekistan that do not welcome undue scrutiny
of their financial transactions. The Uzbeks frequently complain that
they are the victims of double standards and point to the fact that
other countries in the region have no AML/CFT laws at all. As we
continue to work with the Uzbeks on this issue, it is essential to
disabuse them of the notion that Uzbekistan is being singled out -
the FATF is a multilateral body and the norms that are expected of
Uzbekistan are international norms that apply to all countries.
NORLAND