FORMER SOVIET WEAPONS SCIENTISTS CONTRIBUTE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 000218 SIPDIS SIPDIS SCA/CEN FOR BRIAN RORAFF AND ISN/NNPN E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM MNUC KNNP EMIN ECON EIND ETTC ENRG, UZ SUBJECT: FORMER SOVIET WEAPONS SCIENTISTS CONTRIBUTE TO PEACEFUL COMMERCIAL PROJECT Classified By: Poloff Tim Buckley for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met on February 13 with a team from the Los Alamos National Laboratory involved in a project to provide gainful commercial employment for former weapons scientists. The USD one million project is going well at the halfway point, and Uzbek scientists are making cobalt 57 for medical use. However, the Uzbek Institute for Nuclear Physics, part of the state Academy of Sciences, is encountering problems with other elements of the government which are attempting to tax the finished products despite the tax-exempt status. This is not hindering the project but illustrates the power dynamics within the Government of Uzbekistan. End summary. ¶2. (C) On February 13 the Ambassador met with a visiting team from the Los Alamos National Laboratory to get an update on an ongoing project in Uzbekistan involving former Soviet weapons of mass destruction scientists. The project, administered by the Los Alamos National Laboratory under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration, is part of the Global Initiative for Proliferation Prevention (GIPP) and seeks to ensure that former weapons scientists are gainfully employed in peaceful pursuits. The Los Alamos team visited at the halfway point of a three-year, USD 1 million project, and it was their first visit to the state-run Institute for Nuclear Physics (INP). ¶3. (C) The Los Alamos staff assists in identifying U.S. industrial partners who are interested in the knowledge and skills of former weapons scientists, who then continue to work in Uzbekistan on projects of interest. Presently, the Uzbeks are producing cobalt 57, a medical isotopic product with commercial applications. The Los Alamos team noted there is strong interest among Uzbek scientists in the project, especially given the abysmally low salaries in Uzbekistan for highly-skilled professional scientists. The Uzbeks have two cyclotrons, which accelerate proton particles, but they utilize old technology. Nonetheless, the Los Alamos team is satisfied by the progress the Uzbek scientists are making in the project, including successful upgrades to sophisticated equipment. After speaking with the Uzbek Project Leader, the visiting Los Alamos team was impressed by the overall level of training, especially given that 16 years have passed since the breakup of the Soviet Union. ¶4. (C) The Uzbek Institute for Nuclear Physics (INP) is administered by the state-run Academy of Sciences. While there is significant interest in making the ongoing project a success, the INP is encountering typical difficulties with Uzbek authorities who try to levy taxes on the exported products. The INP's products are supposed to be tax-exempt, but the Los Alamos team pointed out that this is an Uzbek problem that the INP has to grapple with in order to receive full payment for deliverables. They also confirmed that the final products shipped out of Uzbekistan have a short radioactive half-life and are a low security risk. ¶5. (C) Comment: We have found from INL projects in forensic laboratories that Uzbek scientists are grateful for opportunities to use modern equipment and crave interaction with Western counterparts; the observations of the visiting Los Alamos team are consistent. It is interesting that the Academy of Sciences recognizes the value of this type of project for Uzbekistan, especially since it brings in revenue, but even a state-run entity still cannot avoid problems posed by other elements of the Government of Uzbekistan who want to levy taxes. This is yet another illustration of how the "power ministries" exercise real control in the country, especially if there is money involved. End comment. NORLAND