GULNORA KARIMOVA APPOINTED DEPUTY MINISTER OF \

139899 2008-02-04 13:32:00 08TASHKENT153 Embassy Tashkent CONFIDENTIAL 07TASHKENT323|08TASHKENT117|08TASHKENT91 VZCZCXYZ0016\ RR RUEHWEB\ \ DE RUEHNT #0153/01 0351332\ ZNY CCCCC ZZH\ R 041332Z FEB 08\ FM AMEMBASSY TASHKENT\ TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9173\ INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 3706\ RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ASTANA 9916\ RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1227\ RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 4320\ RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0181\ RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR 0080\ RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE 0198\ RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 3910\ RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 2178\ RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0269\ RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0927\ RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0855\ RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0356\ RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS\ RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 1753\ RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0984\ RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0123\ RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2304\ RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC\ RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC\ RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC\ RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC\ C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000153 \ \ SIPDIS \ \ SIPDIS \ \ DEPT FOR SCA/CEN AND DRL \ \ E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2018 \ TAGS: PGOV PINR SCUL UZ SUBJECT: GULNORA KARIMOVA APPOINTED DEPUTY MINISTER OF \ FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOR CULTURAL ISSUES \ \ REF: A. TASHKENT 91 \ ¶B. 07 TASHKENT 323 \ ¶C. TASHKENT 117 \ \ Classified By: POLOFF R. FITZMAURICE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B, D) \ \ ¶1. (C) On February 4, the independent Uzmetronom website \ reported that Gulnora Karimova, President Karimov's eldest \ daughter, was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs \ for Cultural Issues. The article also reported that on \ February 1, President Karimov signed decree PP-787, creating \ a new department in the Uzbek MFA to focus on "cultural and \ humanitarian issues," presumably to be headed by Karimova in \ her new position. Karimova's appointment was confirmed in an \ MFA diplomatic note received later on February 4. \ \ GULNORA'S APPOINTMENT CONFIRMED BY MFA \ -------------- \ \ ¶2. (C) Karimova's appointment was confirmed in a telephone \ conversation XXXXXXXXXXXX, who commented that Karimova's appointment was a \ "good sign," noting Karimova's long-standing support for the \ arts in Uzbekistan through such organizations as Fund \ Forum.uz and the Bella Terra magazine. In her new position, \ Karimova will have a lead role in promoting Uzbek culture \ abroad. XXXXXXXXXXXX denied that Karimova's position was newly \ created, adding that Karimova was more qualified than her \ predecessors and would make an excellent cultural ambassador \ for Uzbekistan. Speaking privately with Pol-econ Chief later \ in the day, XXXXXXXXXXXX opined this was the beginning of \ Karimova's official elevation and that by next year she would \ be a Deputy Prime Minister. He also said (protect) that "no \ one" at MFA wants the job of working for her. The MFA \ appointment was confirmed by MFA diplomatic note on February \ ¶4. \ \ ¶3. (C) Karimova's appointment was also confirmed by Embassy \ agricultural assistant FSN, whose friend works in the MFA's \ accounting department and was ordered to prepare an office \ for Karimova at the MFA over the weekend. Karimova's \ appointment to a senior government positioned has been \ rumored in Tashkent for the past several weeks (ref A). \ \ FREE TO TRAVEL NOW TO THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE? \ -------------- -------------- \ \ ¶4. (C) In the February 4 article, Uzmetronom notes that \ Karimova's appointment "automatically entailed" the granting \ of "diplomatic immunity" to Karimova "outside of Uzbekistan." \ The state of New Jersey issued a warrant out for her arrest \ after she fled the United States with her children in 2001 \ following a messy divorce and custody battle from her first \ husband, an AmCit who has since been awarded custody of the \ children. As a result, Karimova is unable to travel to the \ United States or Europe without fear of arrest (ref B). \ Despite the warrant, though, there have been rumors that \ Karimova has traveled in recent years to France. \ \ GULNORA'S REPORTED INVOLVEMENT WITH SWITZERLAND-BASED ZEROMAX \ CORPORATION \ -------------- -------------- \ \ ¶5. (C) Embassy political FSN believed that Karimova's \ appointment is an attempt to provide her with diplomatic \ cover so that she may be able to travel freely once again to \ E \ \ Europe, and possibly even to the United States, to inspect \ her family's finances. Karimova is widely seen as \ controlling the Zeromax corporation, which is headquartered \ in Switzerland and controls a large stake in many of the key \ sectors of the Uzbek economy, including its gas, oil, and \ gold extraction industries. According to political FSN, \ Zeromax generates a significant percentage of the ruling \ family's annual income. In addition, the Karimov family \ reportedly holds large bank accounts in both Europe and the \ United States, though it relies on middlemen to carry out \ transactions as a result of Karimova's arrest warrant. Due \ to squabbles over business interests, Gulnora is reportedly \ estranged from her younger sister Lola, who was recently \ appointed to a position at United Nations Education, \ Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters \ in Paris (ref C). Gulnora is also viewed as much closer to \ her father than Lola. \ \ SADLY, CURTAINS FOR GOOGOOSHA \ -------------- \ \ ¶6. (C) The February 4 Uzmetronom article also reports that \ Karimova's appointment would sadly entail the closing of her \ www.googoosha.uz website, whose launch in 2007 coincided with \ the release of her musical compact disc under the "Googoosha" \ stage name. \ \ COMMENT \ -------------- \ \ ¶7. (C) Whether Gulnora Karimova's appointment to Deputy \ Foreign Minister is preparation for succession or an attempt \ to provide her diplomatic cover to travel again to Europe and \ the United States, or both, is hard to tell. It is possible \ President Karimov himself has not quite decided. What is \ certain is that Gulnora's uncertain status greatly \ complicates Karimov's succession, and this appointment allows \ some flexibility as the local political situation plays out. \ On the one hand, Gulnora could become a Deputy Prime \ Minister, though with the number of enemies she has acquired \ through her rapacious business appetites, this might prove an \ ill-fated move. More probable, in our estimation, is an \ attempt to forge for Gulnora a positive international image \ and perhaps buy her the political protection she will need \ when and if the Karimovs decide to exit Uzbekistan's \ political state - and perhaps Uzbekistan itself. \ NORLAND \v